The Secret Lies with Charlotte
by inkl0v3
Summary: Charlotte has never known her parents or anything about her past, but when she meets Jon Poole, everything soon changes. The two embark on an unforgettable adventure filled with secret passageways, ABBA music, and really bad guys. happens before BOS.
1. Abel's Curios

**The Secret ****lies with**** Charlotte**

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A/N: Every time I watch National Treasure the plot bunnies attack me with new ideas. I don't know how I came up with this one, but it's a little crazy. I'm not going to tell you much to start with, because that would ruin the mystery and suspense of it all. Plus, I wanted to post this before the second movie comes out and ruins my whole plot. Anyways, I don't own National Treasure, only Ann, Charlotte and Jon (and possibly a few bad guys!). Enjoy! 

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I swept up the beaten wooden floor of the old junk shop, watching the clouds of dust catch the sunlight as they flew into the air. I had taken this job about a year ago when I had started my sophomore year of high school. Since then I had moved to two or three different foster homes. Eventually, the owner of this junk shop, Ann Helder, took me in; I had been living with her for the past year.

I never knew my parents. I had been brought to a children's home in Washington, D.C. when I was too young to remember, and had since been traded through foster homes my entire life. I had arrived without any papers or identification, besides a small golden necklace with my name, Charlotte, on it.

I had always been a problem for my foster parents (well, besides Ann) because I wanted to be on my own; I could take care of myself. Anyways, I always ended up pulling some stunt that ended my history with the foster family pretty quickly. There was the time that I had snuck out of the house so that I could go on a school field trip to the Smithsonian, and the other time when I had ruined my foster mom's favorite coat because I had used it for a social studies project. I usually didn't care what happened, so long as I was free of the foster family's restricting rules.

Ann was my absolute favorite; I always tried my best so that I could stay with her. She didn't treat me any differently than she would any other 'normal' kid, and she didn't worry about me all day. She had frizzy red hair and always seemed to be wearing jeans and flip-flops, no matter the weather. She was pretty cool and I enjoyed being around her. We lived in a loft above the junk shop, which used to be a house or store or something back in the 1700 or 1800's; neither of us are really sure.

I finished my sweeping and set the broom against a table that held various books and knick-knacks, stretching. Looking out the faded window I was standing by, I saw a boy on the other side of the street. I paused, smiling. He was usually on that side of the street everyday about this time, heading home from work or something. He went to my high school, but I had never really met him.

He had these gorgeous deep blue eyes that always smiled and dark brown hair that shone in the sunlight. Right now he was leaning against the traffic light pole, rummaging through his khaki messenger bag. Looking up, he saw that the signal had changed. With a swaggering step he started across the intersection while still leafing through his bag for something.

I was still smiling when I saw the semi-truck that was speeding towards him, the driver that was arguing over the phone too preoccupied to notice anything. My breath caught in my throat before I rushed to the door, not stopping to think as I ran out into the street towards him. There were car horns blaring as I dashed through the intersection, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

I hurriedly yelled in panic at the boy who looked up just in time to see me jump, sailing through the air towards him. The driver of the truck finally caught on, his horn blaring as I landed on the boy and we went sprawling over on top of each other towards the far curb. I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard the horn blare loud and then get softer as the truck sped away, its tires making my short, unkempt hair whip around my face with the gust of air.

For a moment, I stayed still and held my breath as if I were waiting for the 18-wheeler to run us over. Then, I heard someone clear their throat and my eyes opened slowly. The boy was underneath me, an amused expression on his face. I noticed that I was still clutching his jacket with a death grip before I mumbled an apology and stood up shakily.

He smiled as he got up, following me back onto the sidewalk. I ran a hand through my shoulder-length dirty-blonde hair, trying to avoid his gaze as I walked quickly back towards the shop.

"Hey, who are you?" he called out after me. I turned my head towards him slightly, still trying to walk back to the junk shop as fast as possible.

"No one, really. I mean, we go to the same school and all but…" I muttered nervously, finally reaching the windows of the shop. The boy paused behind me, his reflection staring at me in the window.

"Really, all I want is your name." he said, shrugging his shoulders. I stopped, blowing a piece of hair out of my face as I turned and leaned against the side of the building.

"Charlotte; my name's Charlotte." I told him. He nodded, still staring at me. Suddenly, he made a goofy face and I couldn't help myself. I glanced down, biting my lips to try and hide the faint smile that had shown up on my face.

"See, I knew I could get you to smile." He smiled back as I looked up at him. I noticed that his eyes had silver specks in them, almost as if they were like reflections in a swimming pool.

"Look, I'm sorry about back there, I just wasn't thinking. That truck was heading straight for you and…" I sighed, wringing my hands.

"No, it's fine. You have permission to save my life anytime." He said, holding his hands up and walking around to my side. He leaned against the faded paint on the window that had been up there since the first owner had converted the building into a junk shop. Ann had kept the name _Abel's Curios_, saying that she didn't have the heart to change it.

"So…" I started, "You still haven't told me your name." I pointed out.

"Allow me to introduce myself then," he bowed, making me giggle, "I'm Jon Poole, otherwise known as the idiot who doesn't look before crossing the street."

"I'll forgive you for that, just make sure that it doesn't happen again next time. You're lucky that I was by a window and happened to see you. Next time I could be in a back room cataloging items." I scolded him sarcastically.

"Oh, so you work here?" Jon asked, turning and studying the store's front. "I've always wanted to go in and look around; it looks like such a cool store."

"Well, today's your lucky day." I smiled, leading him inside. The bells over the front door jingled as we entered the warm shop that had piles and stacks of anything and everything, forming an intricate labyrinth around the entire shop.

"Wow." Jon smirked, glancing around. "Is this your evil plan? Lure innocent customers into your store, and then trap them inside in this maze where they'll wander forever in hopeless desperation?" he asked.

"Oh rats, you've figured it all out!" I snapped my fingers together in sarcastic disappointment.

We were quiet as we started to explore, gazing around at the shelves full of ancient toys or tools. Above on the olive green walls hung various animal trophies, the oddest one being a rather large water buffalo who stared down at us condescendingly. There was also a small table that was covered entirely in thimbles, and another that held an enormous jar of marbles. There was plenty of stuff to make you want to stop and stare, but the one thing that seemed to catch Jon's attention was a seemingly forgotten counter by a window that held American antiques.

His eyes grew larger as he studied the table's contents, his hands hovering over it as he searched for something. Then, they plunged beneath a stack of old Reader's Digest and emerged holding a golden pendant engraved with a pyramid that had an eye over it. My heart beat faster as I stared at it, wondering how it could've gotten here. I heard Jon give a small gasp as it slipped through his fingers and back onto the table.

"What…is that?" I asked softly, leaning over the gold metal circle.

"It's a freemason artifact." Jon told me, still staring at it. I glanced back down, tracing my fingers over the archaic treasure. It felt familiar somehow.

"Charlie? Is that you?" I heard Ann call out, coming down the stairs. Jon and I turned around simultaneously as Ann appeared in the doorway, her unruly hair tied back in a messy ponytail. Her eyes turned to Jon immediately.

"Ann…" I said, taking a step forward, still holding the artifact.

"I didn't know that anyone else was here. Is he a customer or a friend?" Ann smiled, coming more into the room.

"Ann, this is Jon. Jon, Ann." I introduced them quickly and with a nervous smile. Jon went forward, shaking Ann's hand firmly. "He goes to my school." I explained.

"Oh, how nice. You've never brought any of your friends here before." She smiled.

"That's because I don't have any." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, that's what you always say. I just meant that it was nice to finally find proof that you're not the only person who goes to that school." She told me, moving a box behind the counter. I saw Jon smile and relax.

"Well Jon, you're in luck. I've started a new special today. Anyone who comes in and is one of Charlie's friends gets their first purchase absolutely free." Ann wiped her hands off on her apron, leaning against the counter. "See anything you like?"

"Actually, yes." He smiled, leaning towards me and taking the pendant out of my hands. He walked over to the counter and I followed closely, curious. Ann leaned forward as he approached. "What do you know about this piece?" he asked her, setting the artifact gently down onto the counter.

"Oh wow…" Ann breathed as she studied the intricate circle with her slender fingers. "I can't believe this; I thought I had lost this when I had re-opened the store!" she smiled like a little girl.

"It's a freemason piece, isn't it?" Jon asked her. We were all three leaning in around the small golden piece in wonder, our mouths hanging open.

"Yes, the person who owned the shop before me somehow got a hold of it, I believe from that group of treasure hunters. It was the pride of his store, and he sold it to me with the shop for a pretty penny. I just…had to have it, y'know?" she looked up at Jon, who nodded at her.

"So…you're just going to give it to him?" I asked her. She looked up, as if she were waking from a dream.

"Well, I suppose. The only thing it's going to do here is gather more dust and get lost again. Besides, it's not like we won't ever see Jon again. Whenever I want to see it, I can just force him to bring it back over here." She smiled evilly.

"So I get it for free besides the fact that I now have to answer to your every beck and call?" Jon asked her, standing back up and placing the artifact into his bag carefully. Ann smiled with a small laugh as we all walked over to the door.

"I like your sense of humor." She told him.

"Yeah, well, I get it from my dad." Jon shrugged, opening the door. I walked outside with him, turning to Ann as she tried to follow us out. I shook my head, glaring and closing the door on her. The sun had gone down, its light being replaced by the headlights of cars that sped by. Jon turned to me one last time, smiling.

"She's nice. Is she your boss?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I suppose you'd say that." I smiled back timidly.

"That's cool. I can't keep a job without getting fired. I daydream too much. Oh well, not like I like working anyway. Hey, do you think you could come over sometime?" he asked calmly.

"Uh, yeah…" I nodded, hoping he didn't see me blushing, "I think that'd be cool."

"Alright, I'll try to find you at school. Trust me; my mom's cooking is amazing. You'll have to try it." He told me, walking backwards.

"Remember, look both ways before crossing the street!" I called out to him as he disappeared. He smiled, waving as he spun back around.

"Thanks again for saving my life!" He called back to me.

I stood for a moment longer, hugging myself as I smiled before turning around. Ann was in the window, her nose pressed up against the glass. My smile slipped off my face as she smiled sheepishly up at me. I walked back inside, crossing my arms as the door closed behind me.

"I like him." She smiled, straightening up. "What were you two talking about out there?"

"Nothing, he was just wondering if I could come over some time." I replied, walking off.

"Aw…how sweet." She cooed.

"No it's not!" I whipped back around towards her. "He just wants to hang out!"

"So you don't like him at all…even a little?" she asked.

"No! I mean, not really…he _is_ cute though." I sighed. Ann smiled and I scowled at her. "No, there is _no_ way that I like him! I barely know him!" I yelled, stomping upstairs and throwing my hands up into the air.

"MmHmm." Ann smiled secretly, turning back to the shop.

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A/N: There you go, the first chapter! I'm excited about this story even though I have others I need to work on. Don't worry; I'll try to explain more in the next chapter about Charlotte's past (in case you haven't already figured it out!). And on a side note, I finished NaNoWriMo on Friday with 50,002 words total! Congrats to everyone else who won with me or at least gave it a try; possibly one of the hardest things I have ever done. 


	2. Nightmares and Nosebleeds

**Chapter two-**

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A/N: Yea! Chapter two! More Charlotte/Jon fluff and more of the mystery! I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am. I don't own National Treasure, only Charlie, Jon, Ann, and Margaret (Riley's wife). Enjoy and review! 

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I jerked awake, aware that I had been yelling and tossing in my sleep. My legs were twisted up in my bed-sheets, trapping me in a constricting cocoon. I found a lamp on and Ann sitting on the edge of my bed, a worried look on her face. I caught my breath, sitting up in bed. I stared at the ground as Ann placed a hand gently on my face.

"You had another nightmare." She whispered.

"This one was worse." I muttered, folding my legs up. Ann scooted in front of me, hugging a pillow as she sat cross-legged on my bed. The strap of her purple tank slipped off of her slender sun-burnt shoulder as she situated herself on my bed.

"What happened?" she asked. I bit the side of my mouth, not wanting to tell but knowing that I would finally give in.

"Well, I was in this house…it was big and old, but very nice. There were these two people with me, a man and a woman; they were married. All of a sudden, a shadow came in through the window, but they didn't see it, and I tried to tell them, but I couldn't. It set the house on fire. The man tried to save the woman and me, but the shadow attacked him. Then, the woman grabbed me and ran out of the house, but she was hurt pretty bad. She ran into a forest until she collapsed. That was where I fell. I stayed still for a long time, waiting for her to wake up, but she never did. I can't remember the rest." I spoke quickly, not wanting to remember it.

Ann was quiet for a moment, and then she nodded and stood.

"You keep having these nightmares, and I swear they all sound familiar. I just can't think of where I've heard all of this before." She shook her head. "Oh well, you want me to stay here with you?" she asked.

I shook my head, even though I did want her to stay.

"Alright… goodnight then." She smiled, hugging me and turning off the light before going back to her own bed.

I was still for a moment before turning and gazing out my small window up at the moon. I sighed, trying to calm down. A small tear ran down my cheek, but I quickly brushed it away. Crying was for weak people, not for me. I didn't cry, at least not in front of others. Who knows how I had got so worked up tonight?

I quickly yawned, shaking my head and laying back down, hoping that I could at least get some more sleep before I had to get up again for school.

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I closed my locker, carrying my chemistry book and heading towards the stairs. Smiling, I saw Charlotte rushing towards me, trying to finish her homework as she jogged to class. Her golden-brown hair was tucked behind her ears, but some of it fell into her face anyway. Her grey eyes seemed tired, but still danced in the light a certain way.

"Charlotte!" I waved at her. She looked up, spotting me, and came over.

"Hey Jon, just trying to finish my math homework before class starts." She told me in a hurried voice. I smiled, seeing her try to scribble an answer out that she had written down in pen.

"You know, I could help you with your algebra a little if you need it sometime." I told her.

"Really? That would help me a lot. In fact, just let me know if you need any help in history, because that's my area of expertise." She smiled.

"Nope; History I have covered. Seriously, my dad tries to act like he's a history buff, but he really isn't. The only history buff in our family is me." I told her.

"Rats, why do you have to be so good at everything?" She asked me playfully.

"You're asking the guy who almost got ran over in the road the other day? Yes, what could I be bad at…maybe common sense?" I replied sarcastically. She smiled, lowering her eyes as she finished the last question. I reached out, about to brush the hair out of her face, but just then the warning bell rang.

Her head popped back up while my hand was still in front of her face, and it connected with her nose with a hard _thwack_. I winced as I pulled my hand away from her face, shaking it out in the air. I bit my lip to stop myself from saying '_ouch_'. Charlotte had covered her face with her hands, her mouth hanging open in surprise, and most likely pain.

"Oh…Charlotte," I breathed, moving my hands gently towards her face. "I'm so…so sorry."

She brought a hand away from her face, and saw that it had blood on it. Looking back up at me, she closed her mouth slowly.

"My nose…"

"It isn't broken, is it?" I asked her nervously.

"I hope not. Oh…I need to get to class." She looked up as the bell for class rang.

"With a bloody nose? Yeah right." I told her, grabbing her by her arm and leading her down the hallway.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, glancing back down the hall.

"To the nurse's office; you need to get your nose looked at right now." I insisted. She rolled her eyes but didn't resist.

The door to the nurse's office was open and she was sitting at her desk, filling out a paper. I pulled Charlotte in behind me, clearing my throat to get the nurse's attention. She glanced up at me, her thick glasses reflecting the fluorescent lights of the small room.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Um…her nose is kind of… hurt." I told her nervously, rubbing the back of my neck as Charlotte stepped around me into the room. The nurse stepped forward, gazing at Charlotte's nose and touching it gently. Charlotte flinched, but didn't yell.

"Alright, looks like you just bruised it pretty badly. It'll be as good as new in a week. Now, you just sit over here and hold this Kleenex to your nose to stop the bleeding. And you, I'll just go write you a pass." She told me, shuffling over to her cabinet in the other room. I sat on the nurse's bench next to Charlotte as the nurse disappeared, messing with my ID tag that hung around my neck. Slowly I leaned over towards her ear.

"I'm really, really, _really _sorry." I whispered. She looked over at me, a blood-stained Kleenex stuck on her nose. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at her.

"Really?" she asked sarcastically, her voice whiny-sounding from her nose being clogged. I burst out laughing, making her smile.

"I'm sorry, but that was _really_ funny." I apologized again.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked. I got up, grabbing a hand-held mirror off of the nurse's desk and handing it to her. She glanced at it, starting to laugh with me as she glanced at herself.

"Look, I can make it up to you. How about next Thursday at my house? My mom's making lasagna." I tempted her. She looked off to the side, thinking.

"I guess I could do that…" she nodded.

The old nurse came back in, carrying a blue slip of paper for me. I stood, taking the paper and nodding at the nurse. Heading out the door, I turned back to Charlotte one last time.

"Remember, next Thursday at 6:30. I'll give you directions tomorrow." I waved to Charlotte. She smiled, the Kleenex still stuck to her nose.

As I walked back down the hall, I shook my head and laughed quietly to myself. There was something about Charlotte that made me smile; a certain mystery around her. Hopefully I could find out what it was before it drove me crazy.

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A/N: Thank you to those who're reading and reviewing! Reviewing seems like it's a waste of time sometimes, but it really helps the writers know what the readers want and what they're doing right. Who's ready for national treasure two? Writing about Jon is nice because I can meld some of Riley's character into him, but I can also add my own stuff. Okay, enough of me chattering on; go review!


	3. Dinner with the Pooles

Ch.3

A/N: Wow, chapter three already? These chapters are going fast. Anyway, I'm going to have more character development in this chapter so you can kind of see the character's different personalities. Plus, enough sugar-coating things; the plot is about to get a little nasty. I don't own National Treasure, only my original characters (Charlotte, Jon, Ann, Margaret, senile nurse, etc.) Enjoy!

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I rode my bike haphazardly down the suburban street, smiling up at the tree tops that filtered the afternoon sunlight. I was really excited about meeting Riley's family; they sounded really nice. Sometimes, I wondered what it'd be like to have a real family.

I found Jon's house, the one with the giant oak outside, and parked my bike by their garage. Hopping off, I walked up to the front walkway slowly. I was about to knock when Jon suddenly opened the door. He smiled when he saw me.

"Charlotte! Come in, my parents can't wait to meet you." He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door, closing it behind us. I gazed around the foyer at all the family photos of past vacaations and holidays that covered the walls. A small smile slowly crept onto my face; this house seemed cheerful and happy. Jon grinned at me as I stared before he tugged on my sleeve, leading me down a hallway.

We ended up in the small kitchen that was painted an olive green and had windows that let in the afternoon sun, covering the room in a warm light; a woman with long curly brown hair stood over a dish of pasta, pouring tomato sauce on top of it. Jon walked up behind her, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around, her large hazel eyes glancing at him kindly.

"Mom, this is Charlotte." Jon motioned to me. His mom turned to me smiling.

"It's nice to finally meet you Charlotte," she said in a strong voice that sounded warm and bubbly, "Jon can't stop talking about how you saved his life."

"Oh, it wasn't really all that amazing," I rolled my eyes at Jon, "I think I was about as scared as he was."

"Well, it was still heroic." She told me, turning back to the pan of lasagna.

A man entered the kitchen reading an article in a magazine, not looking up as he came towards Jon's mom. He had dark brown hair that stood up messily, and a scruffy goatee. His eyes were hidden behind thick black glasses, but I could still see that they were an intense shade of blue.

"Hey honey," he leaned over, finally putting the magazine down as he kissed his wife, "I thought I heard voices down here. Is this Charlotte?" he asked, turning to me. His eyes seemed to penetrate into me, and I shuffled my feet nervously.

"Yeah, she's the one who saved me." Jon explained proudly. I looked up at his dad, who was staring at me oddly.

"You…look familiar." He murmured.

"I do?" I asked, my voice squeaking. I cleared my throat.

"Yeah…" he nodded, trying to think, "I just can't remember where…"

"Here, you can think about it while I go show her upstairs, okay dad?" Jon intervened. His dad nodded absent-mindedly as we escaped upstairs. The stairs led to a hallway on the second floor that was covered in a thick beige carpet.

"I'm sorry about that down there; my dad can be a bit weird at times." Jon apologized.

"Oh, no problem, it's okay." I told him, staring at the rooms we passed.

Jon stopped outside a closed door, opening it with a key. We entered to find a large bedroom, the floor divided at one end, being a step taller than the other part. His bed was on the raised part, along with a door that led to a bathroom. The lower part contained two large windows that overlooked the front yard, and a TV that had numerous cords and wires around it, connecting it to a video game console. There were two beanbags and a rug in front of the TV, as well as an old pizza box.

"Nice…" I nodded, gazing around at the large room, "I like it." I smiled.

"Yeah, we moved into this house when I was two or three, and this has been my room since I was old enough to sleep by myself outside a crib." He plopped down on a green beanbag.

"And your door locks?" I asked, looking back at it in amazement.

"Yeah, another perk. I know it would be handier if I had siblings I wanted to keep out, but it's still cool. Hey, there's something you've got to see." He jumped up, signaling me to follow him. I trailed behind him, still gazing around the room which made mine look like a sardine can.

He led me into the bathroom, which was painted a bright sky blue. It seemed small after having been in the bedroom. He walked over to the far wall, finding a certain place in the crown molding by the counter and twisting it. I almost cried out as I jumped back, a large square in the wall opening up. Jon smiled, pushing it to the side to reveal a secret passageway lined with brick walls. I walked forward cautiously, cold air from the tunnel blowing on my face.

"This used to be a big house a long time ago, and it has all these secret passageways everywhere that the servants used. It's pretty cool, and can come in handy." He smiled, closing the passageway again by twisting the crown molding. The wall closed up, any signs of the secret door vanishing. I put my fingers on the wall, trying to find a small crevice or crack that would tell me where the secret door was.

"My dad improved it when we moved in; made it blend in with the wall better." Jon smiled, leading me back into the room.

"What does your dad do?" I asked him.

"Well, not much." Jon shrugged. "I mean, he helps people with their computers or security systems if they need it, but he's pretty much retired."

"Really?" I asked surprised. "He seems like he's really…"

"Young?" Jon smiled, "Yeah, my parents are pretty young. They're only in their late thirties. All my other friend's parents are, like, at least in their mid-forties or so."

"But what has he retired from?" I asked him.

"Oh, I'll let him tell you. He loves talking about what he used to do, although he does usually keep a low profile about his past. Now, my mom on the other hand teaches kindergarten. She loves her job, and she's pretty good at it too. I always stop by her classroom after we get out of school." Jon nodded.

"Dinner's ready!" We heard Jon's mom call up to us.

"Race you downstairs." Jon smiled mischievously at me. Before I could answer he rushed out the door.

He had sat down in a chair in the dining room by the time I came downstairs, smiling triumphantly.

"You cheated." I told him, plopping down in the chair next to him.

"No I didn't, I just simply took advantage of an opportunity." He told me as his mom put a bowl of salad on the table. She rolled her eyes at him, disappearing back into the kitchen.

Jon's dad came into the room carrying a handful of silverware and napkins. He passed them out, sitting down just as Jon's mom came back in with the still-steaming lasagna. The room was filled with the mouth-watering smell of the pasta and I sighed deeply, never quite remembering when I had felt quite this happy.

"So dad, Charlotte wants to know what you're retired from." Jon said, taking a drink of his raspberry tea.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I'm curious." I nodded, pouring some more ranch on my salad.

"Really? Well I'm flattered, but I wouldn't want to bore you…" his dad sighed sarcastically, taking a bite of lasagna.

"Please tell me? _Please_?" I asked him, fluttering my eyelashes dramatically. He smiled, and I could see a certain spark behind his eyes.

"Alright, I'll tell you." He said softly. I sat back, smiling.

"A few years before you were born, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth…"

"Dad…" Jon sighed.

"Alright, sorry, I couldn't help it." His dad smirked before continuing. "Anyway, as I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, I met two men. I had just gotten out of college and was working a boring cubicle job when they approached me with an interesting offer; they had found out how great I was with computers."

"How did they find that out?" I asked, abandoning my fork.

"They had, um, learned about how I had hacked into my high school's main computer and had, um… changed all my grades when I was a junior." He said sheepishly. "Which, by the way, you shouldn't do under _any_ circumstances." He turned his gaze to Jon quickly, who looked down with a grin.

"What did they want you to do?" I asked, smiling over at Jon.

"Right, well, the nice one, Ben Gates, came from this family with a long, crazy history. Basically, he thought that the free masons hid a giant treasure around the time of the American Revolution, and he had Ian Howe, the other man, helping him. Of course, if anyone mentions anything about hidden treasure and danger, I'm there." He smiled, taking a bite of dinner.

"We ended up going all over the place trying to find where that treasure was, with the FBI and Ian, who turned out to be not so nice, chasing after us the whole time. In fact, we met a lady at the national archives and she ended up marrying Ben after everything was over and done with. Maybe you've heard of her…Abigail Chase?" He turned to me, a question in his eyes.

"Mmm…no, I'm pretty sure I've never heard of her." I told him, thinking. He gazed at me for another half a minute before nodding and turning back to his dinner.

* * *

"It was nice meeting you, and dinner was very good." Charlotte waved goodbye to us as Jon walked her to the door. I waved back before turning slowly and heading into my study. I could see them from my window, so I didn't turn my light on. I watched as Jon and Charlotte laughed about something, glancing up at the sky. Reaching over to my desk, I picked up an old photograph and stared at it.

"What _are_ you doing in here with all the lights off? Spying?" I heard Margaret ask me from the doorway. I turned to see her silhouetted from the light of the foyer.

"Just…thinking." I told her, turning back to the window. She walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and leaning her head down by mine.

"Thinking about what?" she murmured into my ear. I was staring down at the photo, and she followed my gaze to see what I had been studying.

"About how much Charlotte looked like Abigail. I mean, that's what Ben and Abby named their daughter, isn't it? Charlotte?" I asked her, turning my face towards hers.

"Well, it is a pretty big coincidence…but you know Ben, he gave up hope a long time ago. Ever since Abby…"

"I know," I sighed, turning back to the window and seeing Jon wave as Charlotte rode her bike away. "I just…something about her seems so much like them. I guess I never really believed that their life could fall apart so easily." I told her. She gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, standing and walking back out into the foyer.

"Don't worry so much about it Riley; what's done is done. You can't change the past."

"I know…" I sighed as she left, "I just wish I could."

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A/N: Aw, how sad! I'm sorry for the cliff hangers about Ben and Abigail and Charlotte everywhere, but you're going to have to wait for the next chapter. And no, Jon doesn't realize there's anything romantic between him and Charlotte (yet). They're just friends still. Thanks for you all (or y'all if you prefer that; I _am_ from Texas after all.) who're reviewing! Keep up the good work and another chapter will be ready soon!


	4. The Truth

**Chapter four**

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A/N: I don't own National Treasure, only my OC's (hopefully you know who they are by now). I figured, what with the second movie coming out within a few hours, that I should update this while I still have a chance. This is probably one of the first stories I've written on here that I haven't planned the plot out before hand, and it's kind of messing me up. I hope you enjoy it still!

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I had tried to find Charlotte all day, but without any luck. She had left her jacket at my house and I needed to get it back to her, but I still didn't know where she lived. Sighing, I rushed out of class after the final bell of the day.

Walking down the hall, I tried to think if I knew anyone who knew Charlotte a little bit better than me. I passed Matt, who had English with me third period. Something in my mind clicked and I remembered that he had mentioned a while ago that he had a math class with Charlotte. I caught his arm as he walked past.

"Hey Matt," I asked him, "Do you know where Charlotte lives? She left her jacket at my house the other day." I told him, holding the blue hooded sweater up as proof.

"Yeah, it's on my way home. I'll give you a ride if you want." He said.

"Thanks, just let me call my mom and let her know."

He walked off and I followed behind him, trying to turn my phone on secretly so none of the teachers could see me. Once we got outside, I punched in her cell number and left her a message about how I wouldn't be able to stop by her classroom after school today.

Jumping in the front seat of the beat-up car, I threw my phone into my backpack as Matt pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, how do you know where Charlotte lives?" I asked him.

"At the end of last year we needed to do a Spanish project, so we went over to her house. Her mom's pretty cool." He nodded, turning the radio up loud.

I stared out the window as the music filled the car, watching all the buildings and buses pass by. Storm clouds were hovering over the city, threatening rain, and I found myself hoping that it would hold off until I could get home. All of a sudden Matt pulled over to the curb by a familiar intersection. I glanced up in surprise to see the junk shop that Charlotte worked at.

"This is it?" I asked Matt as I got out.

"This is it; take the stairs inside to the second floor." He waved at me.

"Thanks…" I whispered as his car disappeared into the traffic. I stood for a moment, watching the street before turning towards the shop. Puzzled, I walked into the store still holding onto Charlotte's jacket. The bells above the door jingled as I walked inside, and I heard Ann's voice from upstairs.

"Charlie, go see who that is." She yelled. I heard footsteps pounding as Charlotte appeared in the shop. She stopped dead when she saw me.

"Jon!" she cried out in surprise. I held her jacket out, my mouth hanging open.

"You left this at my house the other day." I told her finally.

"Thanks." She nodded, taking the jacket from me gently. Silence filled the store.

"You…you_ live_ here?" I asked her after a long moment, glancing around the store as if seeing it for the first time. She followed me closely, wringing her jacket in knots.

"Well…yes, but…" she told me, her voice getting softer and softer.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I spun back around to her, my voice growing louder.

"Charlie, is everything alright down there?" Ann called down to us.

"Yes, everything's fine!" Charlotte yelled back up to her. She turned back to me quickly, grabbing my arm and practically dragging me behind her as we disappeared into a back room in the store.

She led me down some small wooden stairs into what looked like a basement, the walls made out of old hewn stones. She put her jacket on, lighting a few candles that were set out on a table. I glanced around at the old cellar shivering.

"You can yell at me now, she won't hear us down here." She told me, sitting down on an old wooden crate that had a pillow resting on it for a cushion.

"You want me to…yell at you?" I asked her, puzzled.

"You were yelling at me, so continue." She fixed her gaze on me, her eyes shining.

"Well, for one thing, why didn't you tell me you lived here? And Ann… she's your mother isn't she?" I asked her loudly, roughly.

"Yes." She told me mechanically.

"Jeez, I can't _believe_ this!" I turned around, pacing. "I mean, this is important stuff I should know! One thing I thought friends did was tell each other important things! How am I suppose to trust you if you don't let me know anything about you? How long have I known you now…two, three weeks?" I asked her, my frustration growing.

"Two weeks and a day." She told me. I stared at her.

"Well, it'd be nice to know some of these things; I want us to be able to tell each other our secrets." I sighed, sinking to the ground with my back against a barrel.

"I _want_ to tell you stuff but…" she glanced off to the side, something stopping her.

"No, but nothing! You tell me about you, I tell you about me! That's how this friend thing works!" I yelled at her.

"I don't want you to treat me differently!" she burst out angrily. I stopped, staring at her as she put her head down into her hands.

"All my life…everyone's treated me differently because of who I am. I didn't want that to happen with you." She muttered, and my anger melted away.

"I'm not going to treat you differently, Charlotte." I told her softly. She took a deep breath, sitting back up bravely.

"Promise, _promise_ me you won't." she commanded.

"I promise, cross my heart." I smiled weakly. She was starting to scare me.

"I…don't know who my parents were; I've never known them. I've been an orphan my whole life, traded through at least a half a million foster homes." She sighed. "Ann is my latest foster parent, and I don't want that to end because she's my favorite. We live in a loft above the store, and it is small, but it's nice." She told me, twisting her hand around her wrist in a nervous movement.

I was silent as I took in what she was saying to me, not quite understanding.

"I sometimes have these nightmares, and I somehow know that they have something to do with my past…but that's impossible. I don't remember anything except all the foster homes. I mean, I've always wondered what it'd be like to have a family…that's why I liked having dinner at your house so much the other night."

"You…how could you of not told me all this?" I asked, trying to steady my quivering voice.

"I didn't want you to feel sorry for me." She said, staring at her hands. I scooted closer to her.

"But, I mean, this is…huge." I sat back, shaking my head in amazement. "I…this isn't going to sink in until later."

"You promised. You have to treat me just like you always would." She said, fixing a worried stare on me.

"Yeah, definitely." I told her, nodding my head numbly.

"So…we're still friends?" she asked, glancing at me.

"Yeah," I smiled, nodding, "We're still friends." She smiled wider down at me.

"In that case, do you want to go see where I live?" she jumped up. I smiled.

"Of course I would." I said, getting to my feet.

She led me back into the store and then upstairs to the loft above the shop. There was a small hallway, connecting a bedroom to the kitchen. Down the bare hallway there was a small bathroom and another makeshift bedroom. There were hardly any walls and the only doors were the ones on the bathroom and back bedroom. I gazed around, liking the laid-back feel that the small 'apartment' had.

The first bedroom, the one right by the stairs, was Charlotte's. She had a window that looked out over the city, and her bed sat low to the ground. It was unmade, and dirty clothes were flung all over the orange rug. She rushed around, grabbing stuff up and throwing it into a pile behind her bed.

Her furniture consisted of a dresser, a night stand, and a small bookcase lined with history books. There was a lamp on her night stand, along with an alarm clock. Her dresser top was strewn with jewelry and hair stuff; a small TV rested by the dresser, almost out of place. A full length mirror hung on the wall by the window, casting the dim light from outside around the room.

She sat on her bed and I joined her.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I like it…its nice and open." I glanced around. She smiled, her nose crinkling up. I laughed.

"What?" she asked.

"Your nose…it crinkles up when you laugh. I've never noticed that before." I pointed out. She smiled.

"Jon, I didn't know you were here." Ann said from the kitchen as she opened the old fridge that stood by the counter in a corner. "You're welcome to stay and eat dinner with us. That is, of course, if you like leftover Chinese food."

"Oh, I'd love to, but my parents are probably wondering where I am. I should go, but I'll see you at school Charlotte." I waved at her as I stood up. She waved back, not getting up as I went downstairs.

The rain had started to fall outside, the drops warm from the near-summer heat. I smiled up at the sky, closing my eyes. Then, remembering how I had almost met my end, I opened them again quickly. Glancing back one last time at the curio shop, I saw Charlotte watching me from her window. I turned around again, smiling as I made my way through the rain.

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A/N: this seems like it's a shorter chapter, but I don't really know. Oh well, more chapters to come. We're just getting started! Aren't you excited for more? I am at least. Review please!


	5. Riley's Hypothesis

**Chapter Five**

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A/N: I don't own N.T. 

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"Riley, what are you doing up?" I heard Margaret ask sleepily. I didn't look up from my computer.

"Honey, look at this." I tossed her a paper. She walked into the room and picked it up slowly, running her eyes down the page.

"These are Charlotte's records from when she was dropped off at the children's home." She glanced over at me. "Are you allowed to look at these?"

I was quiet for a moment, running my hand through my hair nervously. She crossed her arms.

"Well, technically…no…" I bit my lip.

"Riley…" she sighed angrily, starting to pace, "I thought you promised that you wouldn't hack into any more systems!"

"No, I mean, I did…but this is the absolute _last time_, I _promise_." I told her.

"Yeah, if this promise is anything like the last then you'll be back to sneaking through top secret files in no time." She crossed her arms again.

"But look at this stuff," I turned back to my computer, hoping to convince her and get myself off the hook. "Look at when she was brought in."

"August 25, fifteen years ago." Margaret read skeptically before glaring back over at me. "So what?"

"_So what_? When did Ben and Abby's house catch on fire?" I asked her. I saw her thinking before her eyes softened. "August 21, that same year." I told her.

"Still, it could be a coincidence." She shrugged, glancing down at the paper she held in her hands nervously.

"How old would Ben's daughter be the year their house caught on fire?" I asked her.

"About…almost two?" she guessed.

"Two years and a week, on August 24. How old was Charlotte when she was brought in?"

"It says…around two years of age." Margaret read.

"Right, and it says that she was brought in by whom?" I pointed my finger at her.

"A big man, said his name was Fred Jones. Dark hair cut short, blue jacket, dark eyes."

"Fred Jones, real name Ivan Ausrick, accomplice to Ian Howe. Does this guy fit the description?" I asked her, pulling up an old still image of a man. She leaned in towards the computer, open-mouthed at the screen.

"That…looks like it could be him."

"It is him, and get this…I got this picture straight from Ben's security camera, August 21, the day their house caught fire." I rocked back in my rolling chair, my arms behind my head. Margaret came forward, eyes wide.

"You're serious?" she asked, peering at the picture.

"Yes," I laughed, "I'm serious. It has to be her, don't you see?"

Margaret straightened up again, biting her lip.

"Well…the evidence _is _kind of convincing…" she started.

"The evidence is _very _convincing!" I told her, jumping up. She glanced at me as I clutched my hands together and turned around, trying to get a hold of myself. "Margaret-every time I look at her I see Abigail. It has to be her." I whispered.

She wrapped her arms around my middle, pulling me into a hug. She rested her head on the side of my shoulder as I took a deep breath. It has to be her.

* * *

I yawned, my sandwich sitting on my lap as I took a lunch break. Opening my soda I was about to take a sip when I felt something on my shoulder. Looking over I saw a large white spot on my jacket. Grimacing, I wiped it away with the back of my hand.

"Stupid birds..." I muttered, glaring at some pigeons that were flying overhead.

I brought the sandwich up to my open mouth, but paused before I could take a bite. Across the street were two kids, talking as they waited to cross the street. The guy wasn't the one who caught my attention, but the girl…

I dropped my lunch as I picked up my cell phone, punching in a number hastily. I stared at the girl as she laughed over something her friend had said, studying her. I finally found what I had been looking for, a gold necklace with 'Charlotte' across the middle of it.

Someone picked up the other end of the phone.

"Yes…this is Phil. Look, I've found something that I think he'd be interested in…"

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A/N: Yea! another chapter posted! I'm going to see the new movie tomorrow hopefully, and I am _so _excited! I just hope that it's not dissapointing like all sequels tend to be. I'm having flashbacks to POTC. Ugh. I'll keep my fingers crossed (It can't be all that bad if it has Riley in it- right?).

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	6. A Kiss in the Dark

**Chapter Six**

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A/N: I don't own N.T.; you should know that by now. BIG fluff chapter. Read and review! (P.S. I just saw the new movie yesterday and I'm going to see it again tomorrow, but the first one _was _better in my opinionStill go see the new one if you haven't because it's pretty good).

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"Can you believe it, only a week left of school!" I cried, jumping around as Jon and I walked home. He laughed at me, the blossoms from the cherry trees falling into his hair.

We were going over to my house to listen to music and watch movies; typical Friday night stuff. I had had butterflies in my stomach all day long. For the past couple weeks I had tried to get past my small crush on Jon, but it was almost too hard. He had the same riveting electric eyes as his dad, and his hair held soft curls that were a warm brown color.

I lost my balance as I tried to walk on top of a stone bench (no doubt due to my distracting thoughts), falling off to the side. Jon caught me in his arms, still smiling his sweet smirk.

"Be careful; I might not always be able to catch you." He laughed, helping me to my feet. I turned my head as I blushed, glad that the junk shop was just around the corner. A comfortable silence wrapped itself around us as we entered the small shop.

"Ann's not here tonight; she has a hot date." I joked, flipping the 'closed' sign on the front door and throwing my backpack onto the floor. Jon followed me upstairs, his feet pounding on the creaky steps.

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yup," I nodded, "She finally gave in and went on a blind date. Who knows what the guy looks like? Knowing her, she'll probably ditch him within half an hour and find some of her friends to hang out with."

As I walked into my room, I turned my radio on and smiled as the ABBA CD I had left in started playing. Jon laughed as I danced around to the closet, throwing open the door and diving into a messy lower shelf that held our small collection of movies.

"What _are _we listening to?" Jon asked. I turned back to him, wide-eyed.

"Only my most favorite band in the world, ABBA!" I told him. "Someday, I want to go see their musical; you know, Mamma Mia?"

"ABBA, really?" he walked over towards me, dropping his backpack by my bed.

"Yeah," I said, sitting back on my heels, "When I was in the children's home, they always listened to stuff like this. I guess it kind of grew on me."

Jon sobered down a bit, his smile fading. I tried to ignore it, pretending to search for a good movie. I heard him sit down heavily on my bed, the springs squeaking with his weight.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just…I guess I never really thought about what life would be like, you know, without any family. I mean, you've had families, just not…a permanent one." He mumbled. I stood, two or three movies in my hands as I walked back towards him. Standing in front of Jon, I saw that he wouldn't look up at me. I dropped the movies to kneel down by his side.

"Hey, what's all this about? I thought you said that you wouldn't treat me any differently." I asked him softly. He glanced up at me.

"I know, it's just that…after you told me all that stuff I went home. I had dinner with my parents, watched TV, and fell asleep in my own bedroom. I can't even imagine what you went through as a kid, not having any of those." He said.

"I was a foster kid, not _homeless_." I laughed, making him look back up at me, "I had TV, sometimes my own bedroom. I just never had any 'real' parents." I shrugged.

"How can you be so… so okay with all this?" he asked me. My smile faded and I stared at him as he tried to understand this part of me. Suddenly, I realized what I was sharing with him, and I closed up.

"You get used to it." I said shortly.

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I yawned as the final moments of The Princess Bride wound down. Glancing over, I saw Charlotte staring happily with glazy eyes at the screen of the TV, her head resting on her hands. I felt a smile slowly creeping onto my face.

I secretly grabbed a handful of popcorn, tossing it at her. She shrieked, jumping and throwing s few kernels back at me.

"_Shh_! This is the best part!" she told me, not able to keep the happiness out of her voice. I laughed silently, turning back to the screen.

"_Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us __here togetha __today." _The minister with the lisp spoke. I smiled wider, knowing that this was my favorite part also. The whole building seemed quiet, as if listening to the movie with us. Behind us the full moon shone inside the window, giving the room a silvery glow.

All of a sudden there was a light, warm touch on my cheek. I turned quickly and found Charlotte, her face close to mine, eyes wide as if she hadn't realized what she had just done. I reached a finger up to the still-wet spot on my cheek, my mouth falling open.

"Oh…" she groaned, pressing a hand to her head and spinning her face back around quickly.

"You…just kissed me." I said idiotically, my hand still on my cheek.

"I, it wasn't…you-" she stumbled over her words, and I could see she was blushing even in the darkness of her room.

"You just _kissed_ me." I muttered again. That was apparently the only thing I could get out.

"You need to go." She told me, getting up and turning the movie off.

"But…you just kissed me!" I said again, not being able to comprehend what had just happened.

"Jon-_please_." She begged, and I could see the moon reflected in her eyes, full of tears.

I stood mechanically, grabbing my bag and finally pulling my hand down away from my face. I stumbled downstairs in the darkness, Charlotte not following me. I went out the front door and walked half a block before I realized that I was going the wrong way.

Gazing up at the moon, I sighed heavily. Then, for no reason, I started to laugh. I closed my eyes, laughing in the middle of the sidewalk at ten o' clock at night, not even knowing why.

* * *

As soon as I heard the door close downstairs, I buried myself under my covers, the hot tears running down my face. I sobbed silently, gulping in gasps of air every so often.

How could I of been so incredibly _stupid?_ I had just _kissed_ my best friend, and after we had just gotten over a fight about telling each other everything.

Taking in a few deep breaths, I sat up, wiping away the salty rivers that ran down my face. Tomorrow, or whenever I saw him again, I would just tell him that it was late and I hadn't realized what I was doing. I would tell him that it was all a joke; I was just trying to freak him out.

Thinking about my excuses helped to calm me down... even if I knew that he would never believe me.

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"You're sure it's her?" I asked the man on the other end of the phone. Running my fingers through my hair, I quickly thought about what had to be done as he answered me. "Yes, okay, Here's what you do: find anybody with connections to her, maybe that boy she was with, track them down, and get answers anyway possible, even if you have to hurt someone." I stared at an old newspaper as the man mumbled some response.

"Well I don't care; track him down, and _find her_!" I shouted before hanging up. Sighing, I read through the article, almost fifteen years old, and smirked to myself.

"We'll find her…" I tossed the paper into the corner of the office with a small, dry laugh, "_I'll _find her..."

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A/N: Ooh... suspense! Okay, so I'm not a _huge_ ABBA fan, but I actually decided to have Charlotte obsessed with ABBA because one of my friends from church is a HUGE fan; it's seriously all he listens to. Plus, I thought of a really good idea for some more fluff later on involving this. Review! (oh, and I don't own ABBA, Mamma Mia, or the Princess Bride)

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	7. Ambushed

**Chapter Seven**

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A/N: Here's a Christmas present for you guys, another chapter! I still don't own N.T. I hope you're all ready for some action (and some violence). Enjoy and don't forget to review!

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I twirled my pen around my fingers absent mindedly as I waited for Jon to get home. Margaret and I had agreed that the best thing to do was to tell Jon about our suspicions on Charlotte's past. I exhaled deeply, knowing that he could blow this way out of proportion if he wanted to.

Jon had only met Ben a few times in his life, and he quite frankly thought that the guy was crazy. I didn't necessarily agree with that, but something about Ben had changed after the tragedy that had struck him; he was just never really the same after that one night.

Finally the front door clicked open, and Jon walked in with a wide smile on his face. He closed the door before leaning against it, not noticing me. I walked into the foyer fully, surprising him. He jumped up, straitening his backpack.

"Dad…I didn't see you." He smiled weakly.

"You seem happy about something." I remarked with another weak smile.

"Oh, it's just… nothing." He cleared his throat as an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Jon," I started, "Your mom and I thought that it might be best if we tell you something that's come to our attention." I fumbled with my glasses nervously.

"What?" he asked weakly.

"It's just that…your friend Charlotte…" I wrung my hands, trying to figure out how to word this.

"Dad, what is it?" Jon asked, looking off to the side quickly.

"I think that I might've found out who her real parents are." I told him. We were both quiet for a moment as he stared at me.

"That's…great!" he said.

"It is?"

"Yes, who are they?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, that's the thing…" I trailed off, glancing over at him quickly, "I think-I _know_ her dad is…Ben Gates." Another silence, this time uncomfortable and violent, came over the foyer. Jon stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. I braced myself for the storm that was coming.

"That's not true." He told me, looking away.

"It _is_, Jon…"

"No, you're lying! You just don't like her!" he yelled at me.

"Jonathan, her papers match up with the dates and-"

"I don't care; It's not true!" he yelled again, opening the front door roughly.

"Jon-come back!" I started for the door just as he slammed it in my face. I sighed, letting my fist fall against the door heavily. Turning, I saw Margaret watching from the hallway worriedly.

"Well, that went well." I told her.

* * *

Running down the street, I took in deep gulps of air. He was lying; he had to be. There was _no way_ that Charlotte was related to that crazy old man. He had to be lying; he knew how much I hated Ben. I ran faster, feeling the hot anger inside of me growing.

The street was dark and I had only gone about one or two houses down when something heavy threw me to the ground. The air was knocked out of me as I landed on my back, staring up at a dark hulking shadow that blocked out part of the sky. I stared up at the shadow as the anger drained out of me, and I realized that it was a large man.

The man leant down into my face, his eyes dark and his warm breath smelling like onions. I tried to find my own breath as I gasped, my hands clutching the grass. The guy grabbed my shoulders roughly, pushing me down on the ground even more.

"What do you know about that girl you were with this afternoon?" he asked me, his voice thick and deep.

"Wh-who?" I asked softly, scared out of my mind.

The man punched me in the face, causing my head to snap to the side. I felt something sticky and warm running down my face, signaling that I was bleeding from somewhere. I whimpered with the surprise of the pain.

"Who is she?" He asked me, his mouth close to my ear. My breathing was labored as I remained silent, biting my lip as I tried to fight back. The man just pushed me down on the ground rougher, his meaty hands biting into my arms, leaving bruises.

"Jon!" I heard someone call out from behind us. The man looked up as he stood. He gave me one last glare, kicking me for good measure before he left. The wind left my lungs again and I curled up into a tight ball, closing my eyes. I could hear the guy's feet pounding away faintly. Then someone was above me, fingering my shoulders gently. Opening my eyes with a groan, I looked up at my father.

"Dad…" I whispered, trying to get up. His eyes were concerned and scared as he studied me struggling to get off the ground.

"Shh…are you alright? Can you get up?" he asked me, leaning over me.

"I don't know." I said softly, still trying to get up. He helped me, supporting my back. I glanced over at him and saw that he was staring off after the man who had attacked me.

"Dad," I got his attention, "that guy…he wanted me to tell him stuff about Charlotte."

He just nodded, gazing at me, then once more down the dark street.

"Come on, we need to get you inside where it's safe." he helped me stand. I groaned, my knees buckling and my head rushing. Dad put my arm around his neck as he grabbed onto my waist. I winced at the soreness. "Does that hurt?" he asked.

"No, no I'm fine." I nodded over at him.

"You sure?" he asked. I glanced over at him and saw his blue eyes searching my face. I had never seen him look so... worried before. I gulped, not sure how to react. My dad, who had cracked codes and had gone up against bad guys, was... almost _scared. _

"I'm positive." I nodded weakly. My dad nodded, starting to slowly lead me up to the door. I pretended that I couldn't see him shaking.

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A/N: Aw, poor Jon and Riley. I always make my hero's suffer too much. Anyway, we're getting to the middle of the plot now; it's so much better now that I get to write more action in the story. Review please! More drama and action on the way!

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	8. Saturday in the Park

**Chapter Eight**

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A/N: Whew! I like this story but I had to take a break for a while because I had to think about what was going to happen next. I don't want to get right into the climatic, suspenseful stuff yet, I feel like I should add more fluff to it somewhere, explain a little more. Speaking of fluff, this is a huge fluffy chapter! Yea! Anyway, I still don't own N.T. Enjoy and review!

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I yawned, my eyes opening before I realized how late it must be. The sun was up and I could hear the sounds of traffic outside my window. Sitting up with a stretch I looked over at my alarm clock and saw that it was ten o' clock in the morning, earlier than I had thought. Ann came into my room, her hair tied back and a mug of coffee in hand. She sat on the edge of my bed gently, glancing at me with a weak smile.

"Good morning; how was last night?" I asked her with an evil grin. She made a face before looking serious again.

"Charlotte, before I rant about how you should never go on a blind date, there's something you need to know." She smoothed my sheets with her hands absent-mindedly.

"What is it?" I asked her, trying to ignore the nervous feeling that was gathering in the back of my mind.

"Last night, after Jon left, he went back home and was…" she took a deep breath, "... attacked, by some man."

I was still for a moment, not quite believing what she was telling me.

"What?" I asked, feeling as if I couldn't breath. She glanced over at me quickly before looking back down at her coffee. "Well, is he alright? I mean, oh my go-I can't believe this!" I started panicking.

"No, he's fine, he's safe. Calm down, he wasn't hurt that bad." Ann reached out towards me, smoothing my hair. I jerked away, staring at her.

"Wasn't hurt that bad?!" I asked loudly. "He was _attacked_ by a guy! He could've died!" I yelled at her, jumping out of bed.

"No-Charlie, it wasn't that bad. His dad says he only had a bloody nose and a black eye!" She reached out for my arm, trying to get me to calm down again. I pulled away.

"How could this have happened?!" I ran my hands through my hair as Ann stared at me. She grew quiet as I tried to calm down.

"Look, I don't know the details, but Jon just called and said that he'll be here in half an hour, so you better get ready." She told me, giving up on trying to stop me from panicking. She stood and walked slowly out into the kitchen area.

I stood for a moment, staring after her, before rushing around my room, desperately trying to find something to wear. I tried to fix my hair, but eventually gave up and just pulled it up into a messy ponytail. I was pulling on some jeans when I heard the bells above the door downstairs jingle. I quickly buttoned my pants and rushed down the stairs, almost tripping over my feet as I met Jon.

He caught me before I fell, a smile lighting up his face. His right eye was stained with a deep bruise, but otherwise he looked like himself.

"Good morning Charlotte." He laughed gently, helping me to my feet.

"Jon…" I whispered, my voice giving out on me. I slowly reached a finger out to his face, my hand hovering above the black eye. He winced away before I could touch it and I bit my lip.

"It's really not that bad, really." He sighed, his blue eyes darting away from my worried gaze. We were both quiet for a long moment as Ann made her way down the stairs cautiously.

"Jon? Do you and Charlie want to come up and get some breakfast?" she asked us softly, her tired eyes secretly examining Jon's black eye. Jon glimpsed up at my foster mom before looking away again and shaking his head.

"No thank you Ann; but I do think that I might have to take Charlie somewhere to tell her something important." He told Ann.

"Oh, yeah, that's okay." Ann nodded. Jon nodded back before turning around, leading me to the front door. I turned to my head back to Ann and we both exchanged a confused look quickly.

"Charlotte, are you coming?" Jon asked from the doorway. I spun back around as Ann straightened back up.

"Oh, yeah… of course!" I told him with a weak smile before joining him in the doorway. He held the door open and let me out first before he shut it behind us firmly. I bit the inside of my cheek nervously.

Jon started to walk off down the street and I had to jog to keep up with his quick pace. The noise of the morning traffic made a lively melody as Jon led me two or three blocks down. His gait was hurrying, almost as if he were trying to lose me in the early crowd.

Suddenly, we turned a corner and found ourselves at a small park, the sounds of the cars and people fading away. He glanced back at me, making sure that I was still there. I stared around at the shelter of blossoming cherry trees and white marble benches in wonder. I spotted a pond over by a shady grove, and could almost feel myself smile.

"Wow… I've never been here before." I told Jon as I walked farther into the oasis. He smiled as he watched me. The sun made lacy patterns on the velvet grass, letting in pools of warmth.

"Really? My mom used to always bring me here when I was little and let me play in the pond." His smile grew smaller as he came over towards me slowly. I tried not to look over at him, but all of a sudden he took my hand.

I glanced quickly over at Jon, my breath caught in my throat. He stared at me, his beautiful eyes searching my face as we stood together. I felt myself blush and I looked away, hearing him sigh softly. He tugged my hand as he led me over to the water gently. I followed him as we sat down on the ground underneath a tree, wrapped up in its warm roots. Jon dropped my hand then, and my eyes darted back to his face.

"Last night, when I had gotten back home, my dad was waiting for me." He started, his gaze on the water in front of us. I studied his face as he spoke, trying to find where the usually very happy Jon had gone to. "I came in and he… he told me something about you that- it's something that you'd want to know." He glimpsed at me before going back to the water. I bit the inside of my cheek again.

"What did he tell you?" I asked him nervously. He glanced up at me, and then back at the pond with a sigh.

"He thinks that he's found… he thinks he knows who your real dad is."

Silence erupted as he said those words. All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears as I grew dizzy with the news. For a moment I couldn't breath and my thoughts were rushing around in my mind, trying to comprehend everything that was happening.

"He… he knows who my dad is?" I asked, a small smile creeping onto my face. Jon's eyes moved back up to my face and stayed there this time, wide and vulnerable as I stared at him.

"He _thinks _he knows," Jon said.

"Well… who is it?" I asked him, excitement engulfing me.

"Char… I don't think that I should…." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"What? Jon, you _have _to tell me!" I gave a little laugh at him.

"Ben Gates!" he burst out with an angry voice, making me freeze. "It's that crazy old man, Ben." Jon panted. I sat back as he regained his composure.

"But… isn't that who," I started.

"The man who helped my father with the whole treasure hunt thing? Yes, that's him. But that was _years_ ago, and now he's just… he's weird, Charlotte. I mean, the last time I saw him, he kept muttering things under his breath, and he wouldn't make eye contact with me, and he… I don't know, he yelled at my dad for something. That must have been… I don't know, eight years ago."

I was silent as he tried to control his breathing and calm down. I picked at the grass that was gathered around underneath me in nervous handfuls as I watched my friend. Finally, Jon's eyes closed and he took a steady, deep breath.

"I didn't want to believe him; I still don't." he told me softly, "But there's this nagging voice in the back of my head that tells me he must be right. He must be right…" his voice trailed off. I let my shoulders relax and my eyes wander as my mind raced.

Ben Gates… I had heard that name so many times and yet it had never made any sort of connection in my mind. Suddenly I found myself wondering if he liked to eat pizza, and if he still read about history as much as I do now, or if his wife… Abigail, I think, was the one who had named me. Were these influential people really my parents? Could this crazy dream be true? And if it was, why wasn't I still with them?

Suddenly a light, dizzying sensation touched my cheek and woke me from my racing thoughts. My eyes fluttered as I whipped my head around to find Jon staring at me with the widest, goofiest grin I had ever seen on his face. I gently touched a finger to the spot on my face and found that it was slightly wet, as if a raindrop had fallen onto my cheek.

"You… just kissed me." I murmured to Jon. He kept smiling, which of course eventually got me to smile back.

And then, he leaned in closer. I could smell his hair, see myself reflected in his electric blue eyes, and I couldn't breath. Instead, I leaned in closer towards him, my movements shaky with uncertainty. Jon's goofy grin had been replaced by an encouraging smile, and finally our eyes closed as our lips met. I felt my body melt into a pool of relaxation as Jon's hand traced my chin softly. He was _such_ a great kisser.

And then I got a hold of myself.

I broke our embrace quickly, sitting back with an alarmed look on my face. Jon laughed as he glanced over at me, his bruised eye crinkling up.

"What is it?" he asked, starting to lean in closer and pull a thick strand of hair away from my face. I recoiled slightly from his touch.

"What… are we doing?" I asked him. He laughed.

"Well, we were just _kissing_." He told me with a smile.

"No, no, no, no, no," I waved my hands around, "We're _best friends _who were just _kissing_." I corrected him. He glanced off to the side and then back at me, a smile still on his face.

"Well… yeah, if you want to get technical." He gave a small laugh before leaning in closer to me again. I stopped him with both of my hands on his shoulders.

"Are we ruining our relationship?" I asked, "As friends, I mean?" I quickly added. Jon gave a sigh as he stared into my eyes.

"Char, we're not ruining our relationship, we're making it deeper." He told me, and I sighed as I studied his sincere face. He was _so_ _cute_.

"Oh, alright," I smiled, throwing myself on top of him.

Jon gave a grunt of surprise as we tumbled to the ground, our lips locked in another kiss. He stared up at me, and then his face softened and his eyes closed as he put his hands behind my neck gently. I gave a small laugh through our kiss, not quite believing what I had just done.

* * *

A/N: I told you it was a big fluff chapter! Don't we all wish stuff like this could happen to us? Thank you guys for taking time to read this. This story is shaping up to be the most sucessful one I've posted so far; it's already giving my other N.T. stories a run for their money (and they've been on here for about half a year already)! Keep on reviewing!

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	9. Breaking and Entering

**Chapter Eight**

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A/N: Alright, quick recap, I just saw the new N.T. movie a few days ago, and I have to admit… it wasn't terrible. In fact, it was quite good. Although my friend pointed out that it was almost exactly like the first one, except there were different bad guys. I say, if you're a NT fan, go see it. Remember, I don't own N.T. (no matter how much I wish I do) and all my characters belong to me. Enjoy and don't forget to review!

* * *

I paced the hotel room, casting sidelong glances every so often at the bedraggled group of accomplices who were gathered around. There were six of them altogether: Phil (who had worked with Ian years ago), Ivan, Vick, Adam, Trey, Max, and Piper. Piper was the one who worried me. I had just hired her at last minute, and I was nervous; I had never worked with a woman before. But she knew her way around locks better than any locksmith I had ever seen. That, and she could charm her way out of almost any situation.

Finally, I gave a sigh and spun around to the group fully. They all looked up at me expectantly, waiting for instructions.

"This girl… _Charlotte," _I grimaced, "Must be found. She is the last remaining link to Benjamin Gates, his last chance at happiness, and our last chance at the treasure."

"Um…" Phil raised his hand hesitantly. I turned to him with a glare.

"What is it?" I asked condescendingly.

"Well, I was just wondering… how are we going to find the girl?" he asked nervously.

"Don't you worry about that, I've been doing some research, and I think I've been able to find her. We just have to take her now." I clutched a fist to my side. Piper raised her hand, her black jacket flying open to reveal the grey tank top she was wearing underneath. I turned to her.

"Yes?" I asked with a cold stare. She returned my glare fearlessly. That's another thing that made me want to hire her; as far as I was concerned, Piper wasn't scared of anything (of course that also made her hard to control).

"Once we… _take _her, what are we going to do?" she asked, her long, curly brown hair trying to escape the pencil she had tied it up with.

I gave a slight smile as I walked closer over to the tall woman slowly.

"We're going to take her, and then… we're going to _kill _her."

* * *

I couldn't stop myself from smiling the rest of the day. I couldn't quite believe what was happening. Charlotte… she was amazing. I felt myself blush as I thought about that last kiss we had shared in the park. So amazing…

Someone knocked and I turned around to find my dad leaning in the open doorway of my room.

"Hey, did you tell Charlotte yet?" he asked. My smile faded as I turned back to my messenger bag that I had been shifting through.

"Yeah," I sighed, "I told her."

"Good… that's good." He nodded as an awkward silence filled the room. I finished packing my bag and turned back to him.

"Are you ready? The Carrolltons live half an hour away." I reminded him. Dad had been hired yet again to install another family's security system, and this time he had promised to take me along. I was almost looking forward to it, seeing as how the family lived in a huge mansion.

"Yeah, of course." He shrugged, straightening back up.

I picked up my bag, swinging it around onto my shoulders hastily. Unfortunately, I had left one of the pockets open and the contents spilled out onto the floor with a messy _clunk_. I groaned as I turned around to pick up the various items. Among the discarded pile was the golden templar pendant, a jewel among the forgotten homework and leftover wrappers.

"Wait… what is that?" my dad asked, hurrying over towards me. He slowly bent down, gathering up the pendant in his hands shakily.

"Do you like it? I found it in the curios shop where Charlotte lives. Ann said that I could have it, so long as I brought it back to her whenever she wanted it." I explained as my dad studied the piece intently.

"Do you know what this is?" my dad asked me, spinning back around.

"Yeah, it's a templar artifact." I shrugged as if everyone should that.

"No, this is _the _templar artifact." My dad said in an awed tone. "Ben… he found this in the cave thing under trinity church… he used it as a sort of key for something in his house, specially made by me."

"What?" I asked.

"It was… I don't know, some sort of room, or chamber, or something to store stuff in. That was ages ago, I can hardly remember now. But he… he lost it the night of the fire, the same night he lost everything else." My dad mumbled. I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was okay. Finally he sighed and handed the golden necklace back to me. "Make sure that you keep it safe; don't let _anyone _get a hold of it." He told me.

"Yeah… okay…." I said nervously as I put it carefully back into my backpack.

"You ready to go?" he asked me, shaking off the weird moment between us.

"Yeah, yeah I am." I told him, slinging my bag back onto my shoulders gently before following him out of my room.

* * *

I had spent the last hour sitting at a little wrought-iron café table outside the coffee shop pretending to read a book and sip some luke-warm mocha-latte-something-or-other. Across the street stood the curios store, the girl and her foster mother inside.

I glanced over at a man who was window shopping the small strip of shops that lined that side of the street. He glanced over at me, and I gave a slight nod, slipping my sunglasses back on. He smiled before turning back to the store front windows.

A small buzzing noise sounded from my waist, and I gave a sigh as I unclipped the bulky walkie-talkie from my belt. I punched the button as I put it up to my mouth.

"Yes Kain?" I answered unexcitedly.

"Piper, are they both in there?" he asked.

"Yes, just like they have been for the past hour." I answered with a sigh as I glanced back over at the curio shop.

"Patience… it must be dark before we act." He told me sternly. I rolled my eyes, mouthing his words in mimicry. "Okay, you can stop that now." He told me angrily.

"Stop what?" I straightened up.

"I can see you from where I am, and Vick too." He answered sternly.

"Really? How do I look? Like an innocent person enjoying a double-mocha-dark-chocolate-caramel-frappe-whatever?" I asked him teasingly. He sighed before turning his walkie-talkie off. I smiled with a nod.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me with this stuff, but I had to make room in the store somehow." Ann shrugged as I helped lug a box full of heavy encyclopedias upstairs.

"No problem, it's not like anyone comes in here looking for a forty year old encyclopedia anyways." I shrugged. Ann laughed.

"Now that you've said that someone's going to come in looking for one." She smiled as we reached our loft. I giggled as we carefully set the box down. Ann stood back up and ran a hand through her wild hair, glancing around our living space as she tried to figure out where to store the useless books. "Oh," she spun back to me, "I left the front door unlocked again." She started for the stairs. I stopped her.

"Here, I'll get it." I offered.

"Are you sure?" Ann asked me.

"Yeah, as long as I don't have to help find a place for those encyclopedias." I smiled, disappearing down the stairs quickly. I paused on the last step, staring at the first floor in uncertainty.

The curios shop was always creepier when you were inside it alone. I glanced around at the maze of antiques and junk that was piled throughout the store front. It always scared me, how anyone could be hiding around that next tower of jars or behind that one statue. I gave an involuntary shiver before gently stepping into the room fully. Gazing around, I gave a sigh before making my way slowly to the front door. Halfway there the lights went out. I paused, my breath and heart stopping for a minute.

"A-Ann…" I whispered weakly. I turned one last look at the dark stairs that now seemed so far away. Then, with a deep breath I ran straight for the front door. I ducked under the window hastily, my breathing heavy and ragged. I glanced up at the lock that was right above my head and gave a determined sigh.

Snaking my hand up towards it, I finally managed to grab a hold of the dead bolt. Suddenly, right I started to slid it in place, the window above the door broke open, someone's hand groping around inside. I screamed as the glass shattered, ducking as the shards showered onto me.

"Charlie!" Ann called from upstairs. I glanced up, the glass falling off of my head as the hand above me grasped the dead bolt that I hadn't had time to close. I scrambled to my feet and stumbled back to the stairs, making sure to tip over a few tables behind me.

"Charlie!" Ann called again. I rushed up the stairs, trying my best not to trip. Reaching the top, I heard the door downstairs crash open loudly. I ran into our hallway, panting and trying to not hyperventilate.

A hand shot out and grabbed me, pulling me to the side. I tried to scream, until I saw Ann's frightened face staring down at me. She had grabbed me and pulled me down next to her.

I relaxed slightly as she gathered me up and made for her bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind us.

* * *

A/N: Oh no! A cliffhanger! Guess you'll just have to wait. I know, I'm cruel; just don't forget to review!

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	10. Almost Rescued

**Chapter Ten**

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A/N: Another chapter. Once again, sorry for the cliffhanger; I know how much you guys hate those, but I needed to find someplace to stop the chapter. I hope you all had a great new years! Anyways, I still don't own N.T. (duh!). This is a HUGE action-packed chapter; I hope you're ready for some bad guys and car chases! Enjoy and review! 

* * *

"I can't believe that you had that whole system installed within an hour." I laughed as my dad drove us home. It was finally dark, and the streetlights were flickering on as we drove past them.

"Yeah, well… what can I say? I'm a genius." He shrugged and I pushed him in the shoulder playfully. Suddenly, I heard my phone going off. Reaching down I rummaged through my messenger bag until I finally found it. Bringing it up to my ear, I flipped it open with a smile.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Jon- Jon you have to help us!" came the whispered reply. My smile melted away.

"Charlotte?" I asked, turning away from my dad slightly.

"Yes. Jon, someone's in the junk shop… someone's inside here!" she whispered quickly, her voice filling with panic and fear. "The lights are out and they broke through the front door. Jon, did you hear me?" She asked quietly.

"Get out." I told her.

"What?" she asked.

"Is there some way you could get out besides the front door?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Get out of there, now!" I demanded, my voice becoming strong as I tried to mask my fear.

"Jon…" she whimpered, and I could hear a crash in the background.

"Char, I'm coming over there right now; my dad and I are on our way, just get out!" I told her again, a quiver coming into my voice. I heard a muffled sob and then nothing. "Charlotte?" I asked weakly. My phone beeped and I looked at the screen.

_Call ended._

I hung up quickly before flipping it back open and punching in 911. My dad looked over at me nervously as he drove.

"What's happening Jon?" he asked, all the happiness leaving his voice. I held the phone up to my ear, waiting for the operator to answer.

"Someone's inside the curio shop, and Ann and Charlotte are in there. Dad, could you…" I started to ask him.

"I'm on it; Abel's Curios coming right up." He answered quickly as the car sped up, the lights outside passing by faster. I gave a weak smile; he always knew what to do.

* * *

Ann's cell phone slipped out of my hands, clattering across the hardwood floor as it snapped shut. I had heard a loud crash from down in the store. Whoever had broken in, they were now at the bottom of the stairs. I held my breath as I found Ann's arm. We both stared at the door in fear. 

"Ann…" I whispered, getting closer to her as another crash was heard. Someone had tripped going up the stairs. Angry voices broke out, slowly getting closer.

"What is it?" she whispered back, gripping my arm firmly.

"Jon and… Jon and his dad are on their way. He told me to- Ann, we have to get out of here!" I told her as quietly as I could. She glanced down at me and then back up at the door.

"Alright, my window opens up to the roof; we can get out there… or at least try to." She murmured. Helping me stand up, she led us over to her window seat quickly. The window in her room was larger than mine, but it was still pretty high up. I watched as she stretched up onto her toes, her hands just able to unlatch the lock.

Giving a grateful sigh, she let go just as the window banged open, letting in the wind from outside. We both stopped, listening for whoever was on the other side of her bedroom door. Hearing nothing, Ann motioned for me to climb up next to her.

I quickly jumped up onto the ledge as Ann made a step for me out of her hands. I carefully placed my foot onto her hands and grabbed a hold of the window. Ann boosted me up and out of the window, successfully getting me onto the roof. I scrabbled to keep my precarious position between falling back inside and falling off of the steep rooftop.

"Are you alright?" Ann asked from inside. I glanced back down at her.

"Yes; Ann, hurry!" I whispered, tossing a worried look at the bedroom door.

"I'm trying to!" Ann whispered back, both her hands gripping the window ledge as she tried to pull herself out of the dark room. All of a sudden, the door inside shook violently, causing Ann to slip as she gave a small shriek.

"Ann…!" I cried, reaching back in and grasping her hand. She stared up at me, her face pale and scared. I bit my lip as I tugged on her arm, helping her back up. The door shook more and more as we labored to get out in time. Finally, Ann kicked her legs up and fell out onto the roof with me, causing me to lose my balance and start to tumble backwards.

"Ann!" I screamed as I rolled uncontrollably towards the edge of the roof. She looked up and saw me just as I plummeted over the edge.

"CHARLIE!" she screamed.

My hand snagged the gutter and I gasped as my fall was cut short. Looking down, I saw the dark sidewalk fifteen feet below me. Glancing back up, I saw Ann as she rushed over.

"Charlie, give me your other hand!" she cried as she thrust her own hand down towards me. I clenched my teeth and threw my loose hand up into hers. She gave a small grunt as she slowly helped me back up onto the roof. We both fell over as I finally climbed back onto the rooftop.

"Ann…" I panted, "Thanks." I smiled weakly and she nodded at me. Then, her window was shattered by someone's powerful fist. We both screeched in surprise and ducked.

"Charlie we need to get out of here!" she cried.

"I kind of noticed that!" I yelled back as someone tried to clear the window frame of the broken glass.

"Follow me!" she called out.

She led both of us quickly to the other side of the roof where the fire escape was. Climbing down as fast as possible, Ann and I dropped down into a small alley. I glanced around and saw the trashcans that we used sitting behind our store's back door.

"Ann, I have a feeling that this isn't the safest…" I started to say. All of a sudden someone grabbed my shoulder roughly and I opened my mouth to scream. A warm hand was thrown quickly over my mouth, stifling any noise that could've escaped. Ann turned around, her eyes wide, before she relaxed.

"Oh thank goodness you're here!" she sighed, rushing behind me. I turned my head and saw Jon staring down at me worriedly. I almost fell over with relief, my knees weak from all the fear. Once Jon saw that I wasn't going to scream, he let me go.

"Sorry about that, but I didn't want anyone to find us; the police are still on the way." He told me quietly. I noticed a red sports car waiting around the corner of the alleyway and smiled when I saw Riley sitting in the driver's seat.

"Well," Ann came over to us, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your dad?" she asked with a nervous glance over her shoulder.

"You're right; we should probably get somewhere safer." Jon nodded, taking my shaking hand and leading us over to his dad's red Ferrari.

"Wow," I smiled, "Your dad's got a pretty sweet ride."

"Yeah," Jon laughed, "A leftover from his treasure hunting days."

"How are we all going to fit? I mean, there's only two seats and there's four of us." Ann pointed out. We all stopped.

"Well," Jon scratched his head, "We could all try to pile into the passenger's seat?" he gave a shrug.

"I doubt that we could all fit…" Ann thought out loud.

All of a sudden, a gunshot sounded from behind us, followed by shattering glass. I turned to find two or three people busting out of the back door. Ann gave a small screech as she dove head-first into the car.

"Not good, not good!" Jon called as he grabbed my arm and wrenched me into the passenger seat on top of Ann, jumping in behind me. Riley was fumbling with the stick shift as we all tried to untangle ourselves. The men behind us started to shout louder when they noticed us.

"Uh, any day dad!" Jon called out nervously as he watched the men in the alley drawing out more guns.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it…!" Riley mumbled as he jerked the clutch around crazily. Finally, the car roared to life. "Yes, we're in business now!" he crowed as we pulled out onto the street, the tires squealing with the effort.

"Um, can you guys maybe get off of me?" Ann asked from underneath us.

"Oh, sure…"

"Yeah, here let me just…" Jon and I tried to shift around to find a more comfortable way to accommodate ourselves into the single seat. Suddenly, a black sports car swerved out of nowhere, its headlights trained right on us. I glanced up, Ann's knees jabbing me in the side.

"Uh oh…" I breathed.

"What is it?" Riley looked behind us. The Ferrari started to drift into the next lane.

"Eyes on the road dad!" Jon yelled as the van next to us honked.

"Oh, right!" Riley turned back around quickly with a small wave at the mini-van.

"Someone's following us." I told him as Ann squirmed around beneath me.

"Let me see!" she cried out, poking her head up. I gave a small shriek as I lost my balance and fell down onto the floorboards in a heap.

"Are you alright Char?" Jon asked as he tried to peer around Ann's elbow to get a look at me. I heard another gunshot, and then a ping as the bullet bounced off the rearview mirror. Ann screamed as the mirror shattered. She ducked down into the crowded passenger seat again, forcing Jon to crawl up against the side of the door.

"Every time, there always has to be a car chase and someone shooting, every time!" Riley muttered angrily as he pushed down on the gas, maneuvering the stick shift as best as he could.

"They just shot at me!" Ann cried, her hands covering her head.

"You get used to it, trust me." Riley gave a tight smile.

* * *

A/N: Uh oh, another cliffhanger! I know, I know, I'm sorry but the chapter had to end somewhere before it never ended! Trust me; I'll post the next chapter as fast as possible! Review now and you too can experience the joys of being in a car chase!

* * *


	11. Ann meets the Pooles

**Chapter Eleven**

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A/N: I don't own N.T. Alright, back to that car chase I promised you guys! 

* * *

The Ferrari swerved around traffic as Ann, Jon, and I all hung on for dear life. I tried to squirm around into a more comfortable position, but instead found myself somehow sitting on top of Jon. I made myself as small as possible as another gunshot was heard. The Ferrari veered to the side, bumping me into Jon more. I glanced up at him sheepishly.

"Something tells me that your dad has done this before." I gave a weak smile.

"A few times." He shrugged.

"Hang on; we're making an illegal u-turn!" Riley told us.

"We're what?!" Ann screeched.

Riley flipped the steering wheel around, turning us straight into the oncoming traffic. All of us were screaming as we watched the streetlights above us swirling around dizzily.

"Dad, what are you doing?!" Jon yelled as I slipped back down onto the floorboard again.

"Just trust me!" he yelled back as he hit the gas.

"Tell me when it's over…" Ann moaned as she covered her eyes, trying to squiggle down onto the floor with me.

I climbed back up into the seat, trading places with Ann as the black car sped by, careening around to follow us again. I grabbed for Jon's hand as the traffic in front of us veered out of the way. My breathing was uneven as I tried to not be sick. Riley pressed down on the gas even more as he cast a worried gaze over his shoulder at the black car that was steadily gaining on us.

"Uh… Dad…" Jon murmured weakly as he stared in front of us. Riley turned back around quickly.

In front of us was an eighteen wheeler, and it was not moving very fast. Riley's face paled, but only for a second. Then, he rammed his foot down on the gas even harder. I gulped, grabbing for Jon's other hand as well. The semi blared its horn as it came to a stop.

"Dad, it's not going to move!" Jon tried to get his dad to stop. Riley didn't respond.

"Um, Mr. Poole? I'd really like to not die!" came Ann's muffled plead from beneath me and Jon.

"Everyone just _trust _me, alright?" Riley told us sternly.

"You're not really giving us much of a choice here anyway." Jon muttered as his face paled.

The semi's bright headlights blinded me as we grew close, and then I duck down, burying myself into Jon's jacket with a whimper as I thought we were about to crash head-first to our death. Suddenly, I felt us swerve out of the eighteen wheeler's path, the blaring horn rushing by our heads quickly.

I glanced up, still clutching Jon's arms in fear. We had swerved just half a second before crashing headlong into the semi, and were now continuing down a less-crowded side street. I glanced back just in time to notice the black car speeding behind us, still caught in the semi's headlights. It spun out of control just before it ran head-first into the truck, crashing into at least three other cars as it skidded to a stop.

Riley gave a small victorious laugh as he turned back around with a slight nod.

"Works every time." He smiled. Then, his glance turned to the three of us. "What are you guys doing down there? Come on, get up into the seat at least!" he patted the back of the passenger seat as the sports car slowed to a normal speed. We all fearfully crawled off of each other.

Ann peeked out from her hiding spot on the floorboards, smoothing her frizzy hair with a shaky hand. Glancing over at Riley, she gave a small smile.

"Hey, I'm Ann Helder, Charlie's foster mom." She reached her hand out for Riley to shake.

"Nice to meet you." Riley nodded back.

* * *

I gave a relieved sigh as I saw my house down the street. Char had finally calmed down, trying to find a position that wasn't so awkward in the cramped front seat with me and Ann. She was now sitting almost on top of me. Ann was still curled up on the floor.

"Thank goodness we're finally here." I murmured, leaning my head back as the Ferrari came to an uneven stop. I heard the front door of our house swing open. Glancing behind me, I saw my mom rushing over towards us. "Uh oh…" I breathed.

"Riley, Jon, you've been gone for almost two hours! I've been listening to all the news stations and there was some sort of high speed car chase and… what is Charlotte doing here?" she asked, stopping just outside the sports car.

"Hey," Ann poked her head out of the floorboards, frightening my mom a little, "I'm Ann Helder, Charlie's foster mom." She reached her hand out to shake. My mom grabbed it hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you. Riley, don't tell me that you were caught in this car chase…" she trailed off as she noticed the busted rearview mirror. My dad stepped out of the car with a grimace, gathering his backpack up.

"Can we get out now?" Char asked softly, still trying to find a better position to be in.

"Oh my… don't tell me that you- I can't believe this!" my mom cried, backing away from the car.

"Margaret, honey, please just listen to me first," my dad tried to explain.

"No Riley; I thought I told you, no more high-speed car chases!" my mom yelled back. "I mean, and you had people in the car, and they could've been hurt. At least no one had a gun…"

My dad winced, causing my mom to stop with raised eyebrows. The three of us watched silently as this little battle continued.

"There _were_ guns…" mom sighed as she glanced once again at the busted mirror, the only scratch on the whole car.

"Yes, but only one." Riley tried. Margaret threw him a glare. My dad hung his head as she thrust the passenger side door open. The three of us tumbled out, falling over on top of each other again.

"Get inside; we'll talk about this later." She stated. Riley walked dejectedly to the front door. My mom shook her head as she turned to us. "Now what is this all about Jon?" she asked me. I fidgeted nervously.

"Well, someone broke into the curio shop and Ann and Char were inside with whoever it was, and Dad and I were just trying to save them. We called the police, but we reached the store first. I mean, we almost didn't make it out of there in time. And then, this black car shows up out of nowhere, shooting at us, and…" I shrugged. "Here we are, somehow still alive."

"I'm so sorry about this whole mess," Margaret turned to the frazzled Ann.

"No, don't worry about it. I'm really glad your husband and son showed up, otherwise I don't know what would've happened to Charlie and me. Whoever was inside our shop wanted _us,_ not any of our stuff." Ann explained as calmly as she could. Margaret nodded thoughtfully.

"I think we need to call the police again." She said absent-mindedly as she started to lead us inside.

* * *

"But- what do you mean I can't get in? It's _my store_!" Ann argued over the phone as Jon and I sat on the stairs, watching her pace. She gave a huff and ran a hand through her unkempt hair. "Okay, I _get _that it's a crime scene, but still! I mean, where am I going to stay, what am I supposed to wear? I don't even have my own toothbrush! How do you expect me to brush my teeth?!" she cried, sinking to the floor as she rested her back against the wall. Finally, after a moment of silence she gave a small sigh. "Yeah, okay, I understand. Thanks anyway…" she hung the phone up. "…_Jerk_."

"Let me guess…" I started. Ann looked up at me and Jon, "We're not allowed to go back?"

"Not until tomorrow at least." Ann stood slowly.

"You guys can stay here if you want. I mean, I'm pretty sure my parents won't mind." Jon suggested. Ann gave a weak smile.

"Thank you so much Jon; I'm so glad that Charlie has a friend like you to take care of her." She said. I glanced up at her quickly as Jon stood.

"Let me just go clear things with them first." Jon nodded down at Ann, and then me. I watched him disappear upstairs to his parent's room. Then I turned back to Ann.

"What was that for?" I asked her quietly.

"What?" she blinked.

"The whole '_I'm so glad that Charlie has you to take care of her' _business!" I whispered back quickly.

"What? I am, he's a good friend… who happens to be a boy…"

"Ann!" I hissed, my cheeks flushing.

"What's with you two anyway?" she asked back.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on; I saw you in the car. You practically_ threw_ yourself on top of him!" she rolled her eyes as a smile grew on her face.

"I was _thrown _on top of him because we were in a _high-speed car chase_! And besides, I was scared. You were the one who was hiding in the floorboards!" I reminded her.

"MmmHmm…" Ann nodded with a smirk as she closed her eyes, "Whatever you say Charlie…"

* * *

I was unpacking my backpack in our bedroom when Margaret came in. I had my back turned to her, but I could hear the door shutting softly. Then I could smell her faint perfume as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you down there; Jon told me what happened." She murmured. I turned my head towards her.

"That's okay… I probably shouldn't have tried to be all heroic." I told her as I forgot about my backpack full of security equipment.

"Ann told me that you saved her and Charlotte; it sounds like you were a hero after all. Just make sure that next time you're more careful." She told me, her warm brown eyes staring up at me.

"I know, I just- I'm so sure that Charlotte has to be… _connected_ somehow to Ben and the treasure…" I tried to explain. Margaret shook her head and turned away.

"Riley, you're relying on suppositions and conclusions that you've jumped to. I want you to stop trying to solve Ben's problems before they become your problems too." She told me, opening one of the drawers in our dresser.

"But…" I started to come back in with a full explanation just as a knock sounded on our door.

"Can I come in?" I heard Jon ask. I sighed.

"Yeah, come on in." I told him.

Jon opened the door and stepped hesitantly into our room. His gaze shifted between me and Margaret nervously as if he could feel the tension between the two of us. I gave a small smile as Margaret turned back to me.

"What is it Jonathan?" she asked him.

"Well, Ann and Charlotte aren't going to be able to go back to the curio shop tonight, so I was wondering if they could stay here tonight." He told us.

"Of course!" I jumped in, "It is _not _safe at the curio store for them anymore. Whoever was there tonight came after them very aggressively, and I don't think that they'd stop after their first try to get what they wanted." I explained.

"Do you think it's the same guy that attacked me?" Jon asked.

"That has to be who it is, unless there's more than one creep after Charlotte and Ann." I gave a shrug. "I think the safest thing would be for the two of them to stay with us until we know that they'll be safer."

* * *

I banged the door with my fist, startling most of my men. They all stared at me in nervous anticipation. I had lost Charlotte again; but not the next time. No, third time's the charm. We'll get her… it was only a matter of time. I turned to my men with an evil smirk.

"Who did you say was driving that red car Phil?" I asked the man next to me.

"It looked like it was… oh, who was Ben's sidekick?" he wondered aloud.

"Riley Poole." Piper answered from across the room. We all turned to her. "Riley Poole was the co-finder of the treasure." She told us coolly.

"Then Riley Poole we'll find; he'll lead us to that girl… and, who knows? Maybe the treasure too." I gave a small chuckle as I tossed my gun onto the table carelessly. I nodded to Piper as I stalked off to my room. That girl was handy, no doubt.

* * *

A/N: Ooh… suspense. No more cliffhangers (At least, not this time)! Another chapter will be coming soon, so take this time to review! I appreciate everyone who is taking time to read this story. If you like this one, you might like some of my other N.T. fanfics. Check my profile if you're interested. Thanks again to all who're reading and reviewing. Keep up the great work guys!

* * *


	12. The Damage Done

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

A/N: I still don't own N.T., no matter how cool it would be if I did. Alright, continuing on with the plot! 

* * *

"Alright, so you'll be staying in the game room up here; it's just around the corner from my room." Jon told me as he opened a closet in the upstairs hallway. He handed me a pillow and some sheets. I looked down as our hands touched. Jon paused when he noticed my shy look.

"I-I guess I'll just go give these to Ann…" I told him, trying to walk off. He caught my arm, successfully stopping me.

"Char, are you alright?" he asked. I finally looked up and met his eyes. They were so… vibrant.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I nodded, looking down at my feet again. "It's just…" I bit my lip as I could feel tears gathering in the corners of my eyes, "There's just so much- so much that happened today, I-I can't…" I took a shaky breath before walking quickly down towards the game room at the end of the hallway. Jon followed me.

"Char, what's wrong?" he asked, making me stop. I took a breath as I turned to him.

He looked blurry through my held-back tears, and I couldn't say anything because there was a lump in my throat; I knew that if that lump broke, my tears would spill out, and that couldn't happen. So I stood there in the middle of the hallway, my mouth trying to open as I stared at Jon.

Without a word he pulled me into a tight hug, stroking the back of my hair gently. I gasped softly as the sheets and pillow fell out of my hands. Slowly, I felt myself calm down and my tears go away as everything seemed to be all right again.

"I hate seeing you upset…" Jon murmured into my ear. I smiled to myself, blinking quickly to make sure that my tears weren't there anymore.

"I'm fine now…" I whispered back, touching his arms gently. I felt him give a small laugh as a smile lit up his face, and my own smile grew wider. Jon pushed me away slightly, his blue eyes searching my face. "Thank you." I told him quietly.

"Any time." He smiled wider. I felt myself blush and I quickly bent down, gathering up the dropped bedding to hide my reddened face.

"Here, let me help you with that." Jon offered, grabbing up one of the sheets off of the carpet.

"Thanks," I told him as I stood again.

"No problem. So… are you all set?" he asked as we started down the hallway together. I gave a shrug.

"I guess. I mean, I don't really have anything other than what I'm wearing, so there's not…"

"Do you need something to sleep in? I could probably find you something." Jon offered quickly.

"Oh, no, really… I can sleep in my clothes, its fine." I replied nervously.

"Are you sure? Here, take this and I can find you something." Jon handed me the blanket as he disappeared into his room again.

"No, no, really…" I tried to say as he left, "... its fine." I blew a strand of hair out of my face before walking into his room after him.

Jon was going through his dresser, rummaging around for something. I glanced around, not sure what to do. His room was slightly messier this time than it had been before, and I smiled as I studied the clutter.

"Here, I think that this should fit." Jon tossed me a blue flannel shirt and some black basket ball shorts. I caught them, almost dropping the pile of bedding again.

"Thanks. I really should get to the game room; I don't know how much longer I can balance this stuff anymore." I told him as I gathered up the sheets, the pillow, and the borrowed clothes. Jon smiled.

"Alright Charlotte… goodnight." He smiled wider as I walked back out into the hallway. He shut his door gently behind me. I stopped, listening to the quiet hallway. Then, for no reason, I smiled.

* * *

"Good, this is very good Max." I nodded in approval.

"I thought that you'd like to see what I found after a little research online." He nodded as I read through the paper that he had handed to me.

"Riley Poole, age: 39, status: married. Oh… I wonder who to." I gave a sarcastic laugh as I continued down the page. "Spouse: Margaret Poole, maiden name: Benvoli, age: 38, children: one…" I trailed off, surprised. I hadn't known that Riley had a kid. This could come in handy… "Name: Jonathan Poole, age: 17… about the same as Charlotte. Hmm…" I smiled thoughtfully. This could come in _very _handy.

* * *

"Flannel shirt and basket ball shorts… interesting combo." Ann smiled as I blinked my eyes open. The sun was coming in through the blinds on the windows. I groaned as I sat up and stretched, glad that I had claimed a couch instead of the floor.

"Well, at least they fit… sort of." I told her as I stood, the shorts starting to slide off. I rolled the extra-long sleeves up just enough so that my hands could be seen. Ann gave a small laugh.

"Well, I'd love to stick around and watch you try to convince me that you could fit into those clothes, but I have to go back to the store." She told me as she stood up.

"What?" I yelped as I followed her down the hallway.

"Yeah, Riley's giving me a ride there. We're taking a different car, but I still don't want you to come." She explained as she paused at the top of the stairs.

"But why can't I come?" I asked as I pounded down the stairs behind her.

"Because… I don't know how bad the damage is. I don't want you to see the store in that sort of state. Besides, it could be dangerous." She sighed as she reached the already-open front door. She stopped as I caught up to her. "What do you want me to get for you while I'm over there?" she asked as she turned back to me suddenly.

"Well…" I thought, "Just the necessary clothes, and a toothbrush and stuff… and my ABBA CD; it's still in my CD player." I told her.

"Alright," She nodded as she started to walk out the door, "I'll try to get you something cute to wear for your _boyfriend_!" she laughed as she started to run for the blue car that was waiting outside the house for her. My mouth dropped open as she snickered at me.

"I'm going to kill you Ann!" I screamed, starting to run after her. I would've caught her too, if the shorts I had borrowed hadn't slipped down to my ankles. The flannel shirt reached past my thighs, but still; I was outside! I gave a small shriek as I fell over, desperately trying to pull the pants back up. Ann was laughing so hard she was crying.

"Keep your shorts on; I was only kidding!" she called out as she opened the car door. I scowled at her as she waved at me, the car driving off. Gathering the shorts up to their appropriate place, I stood back up and turned around to go inside again.

Jon was standing in the doorway, staring at me with a red face. My face flushed as I saw him, realizing what he had just seen. Then, he doubled over in laughter, grabbing onto the front door for support. My mouth fell open. I couldn't believe that he'd actually be _laughing _at me!

My surprised look was replaced by a clever smirk as I thought up what I could do to him. Humming to myself, I walked casually back to the door. Jon glanced up at me, his chuckling growing softer as I approached. I smiled down at him. Then, in one quick movement, I pulled the khaki cargo shorts he was wearing down to the floor.

I tore off for the kitchen, giggling as Jon's face became shocked. He stared after me in disbelief before finally realizing that he should probably pull his shorts up, seeing as how he was standing in front of an open door. I laughed even harder; revenge was sweet!

* * *

I watched as Ann picked her way through what used to be her store. I could see that the amount of damage had shocked her immediately. It had shocked me too; I couldn't believe that only a handful of people could do all of this.

Almost every table was overturned in the store front, the front and back doors were busted open, glass was shattered everywhere, antiques and other odds and ends were spilled all over the floor. I tried to climb over a shelf that had been thrown in front of the stairs. I hated to see what it looked like upstairs if it looked this bad down here.

Ann stopped at the top of the stairs, a few tears running down her blank face. I peeked in at where she and Charlotte used to live.

There was a small round table that had been cracked in two, a door at the end of a small hallway busted open, glass shards trailed on the floor. I looked in at a makeshift bedroom that must have been Charlotte's and shuddered. That area looked the worst, almost as if they had been trying to find something.

Her bed had been flipped over, her walls scratched and beaten, her closet door hung on a single hinge, and her dresser lay on its side with all the contents falling out onto the floor. I couldn't look at Ann as she took in the damage. She was inhaling a few shaky breaths, but I could hear a tremor hidden in her voice.

She stumbled over into Charlotte's room slowly, grabbing onto the dresser for support. I sat down on the wooden floor, my back against the wall as I closed my eyes. If anything like this were to happen at my house…

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of the thought. To have the place where you live endangered by some unknown threat, to have it nearly destroyed while you and your family were inside… I doubt anyone could handle that all that well. I had seen what it had done to Ben, and I didn't want anything like that to happen to Ann and Charlotte either.

I glanced up as the young woman was staring around the destroyed room in despair.

"Ann," I stood again as she looked over at me, "I…I'm really sorry about this." I told her as I got closer. She smiled weakly up at me, her eyes full of tears. "And I just want you to know that, whoever did this… I'm going to find them, and I'm going to make sure that they'll never hurt you or Charlotte, or anyone else, _ever _again... I_ promise_."

* * *

I was helping my mom cook dinner when Ann and my dad returned. Charlotte rushed downstairs as the front door swung open.

"Ann!" she cried happily as mom and I ran out into the foyer. Char stopped short once she saw Ann's face. I watched silently as her foster mom set down a single suitcase of things from their house. The young woman's pale face was anything but joyful.

I stole a glance at my dad, who looked almost the same. Char took another step towards Ann before she glimpsed down at the suitcase on the floor.

"That's… it?" she asked, looking back up at Ann.

"That's it. Charlie… our store- it's…" The woman had to stop because she was over come with emotion. Char's face paled.

"Mom… I-I'm sorry…" Char threw herself into a hug on top of Ann. My dad managed the smallest smile as he fixed a tender look on me and mom. I fidgeted nervously as he walked over towards us.

"Is everything alright honey?" my mom asked him softly.

"Yeah… here, let's go into the kitchen and let these two be alone for a moment." My dad led us off. I glanced back one last time at Ann and Charlotte. Ann was crying, but Char had a blank look on her face, almost as if she were trying not to cry. Sighing, I joined my family in the kitchen.

My dad paced over to the fridge, leaning against it with a sigh. My mom took a seat at the table, and I stood over by the counter, anxiously watching them. My dad was staring at his feet silently, not even meeting our eyes.

"Abel's Curios is…" he took a deep breath, "… destroyed. I-I went in there with Ann, and I thought about if anything like that were to happen to you guys, and…" my dad finally looked back up at us, and I could see that his eyes were reflective with tears, "I just wanted both of you to know, that I love you… _so much_." He gave a small smile as his eyes became puffy and red.

My mom weakly smiled over at him before jumping up and giving him a tight hug. I bit the side of my mouth, not quite sure how to react.

"Oh Riley… I love you too!" she sighed, kissing him gently. I glanced down at my feet, hoping that I could somehow disappear. My parents both finally remembered me. They peered over my direction with tearful eyes.

"Jon… you alright?" my dad asked. I nodded quietly, still not meeting their gaze. Suddenly, someone pulled me into a hug, and I looked up to find my dad holding me. I gave a small grin as I relaxed, closing my eyes. I always felt safer when he was around.

* * *

A/N: Aww… how sweet! Don't worry, there's still a lot of this story left. Just wait until the bad guys attack again! Oh wait… that happens next chapter! I have to admit, this was just sort of a transition chapter to help show how these two families adjust to each other. Anyway, review and I'll play you an ABBA song (or, at least, next chapter I will)!

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	13. Sunday Night

**Chapter Thirteen**

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A/N: Alright, the suspenseful chapter is here! Honestly, I'm sure I could've fit this story under at least ten different genres; unfortunately I had to pick two. Oh well… just remember that I don't own N.T. Keep on reading and reviewing. You guys rock! 

* * *

"I must agree Margaret, your cooking is amazing!" Ann smiled as she set her fork down onto her empty plate with a satisfied _clink._ I smiled, remembering the last time I had been over here for dinner. That was when I had first met Jon's parents.

"Did you like it Charlotte?" Margaret asked me. I glanced up at her with a smile.

"Oh yes, it was very good." I nodded. She smiled back warmly as she gathered up the empty plates. Riley helped her clear the table off as the rest of us stood up. Jon slowly walked over to where I was standing, a smirk on his face. I waited for him to say something, but Ann jumped in before he could.

"Well Jon, I don't believe that I've seen your room yet." Ann smiled as she approached the two of us. I gave her an annoyed stare as Jon turned to her.

"I can show you it, if that would be okay…" he glanced back over at me. I pasted a smile on my face, giving a short nod. "Okay, just follow me." He smiled at the two of us as he walked off to the stairs. I gave Ann a scowl as we followed. She shrugged triumphantly.

The three of us slipped into Jon's large bedroom, staring around at it. I snuck over to him as Ann distracted herself with studying the contents of the room. I gave Jon a sheepish smile and he laughed quietly so that Ann couldn't hear him.

"Oh, you still have it!" Ann exclaimed from a bookcase next to one of the windows. We both turned to her quickly. I saw her staring at the golden templar artifact that she had given to Jon the day we had first met.

"Of course, why would I get rid of it?" Jon smiled as he we joined my foster mom at the bookcase. "I need to keep it safe now more than ever because my dad found out that I had it the other night, and he remembers that Ben Gates had used it as some sort of key to something in his house. I don't know." He gave a shrug.

"Ben Gates…" I gasped, making Jon and Ann look over at me. I blushed a little. "Sorry, it's just… I still feel weird when I hear that name." I explained quietly.

"Why?" Ann asked me with a confused face. Jon glanced at her, and then back over at me.

"You didn't tell her yet?" he whispered loudly to me. I winced as Ann shot me a glare.

"Didn't tell me what?" she asked quickly.

"I didn't have time, seeing as how our house was attacked!" I whispered back to him just as loud.

"Didn't have time to tell me what?" Ann asked again in exasperation. Jon and I exchanged a nervous glance.

"Um, Riley… he thinks that, that Ben Gates could be… my real dad." I explained quietly. Ann's mouth dropped open as she stared at me. I scooted closer to Jon.

"And… why, exactly, does he think that?" she asked, blinking rapidly.

"I don't exactly know why… but he _is_ pretty convinced of it." Jon nodded at her. She stared at the two of us for a moment longer before nodding back.

"Well, okay. I think I'm just going to go and try to find your dad and have a little chat with him, okay Jon?" she asked without needing an answer as she left the room, the door slamming shut behind her. The two of us were quiet for a second before glimpsing over at each other.

* * *

I was helping Margaret with the dishes, smiling over at her every so often, when Ann suddenly yanked me away from the sink. I spun around to see her angry face, and groaned inwardly. Couldn't I ever do anything right? It always seemed like I had at least one person mad at me for something or other.

"Riley, would you care to tell me why you think that Ben Gates is Charlie's dad?" she asked me, her foot tapping impatiently as she waited. I gave a weak smile as I gulped.

"Ann, you want to follow me to my office? I-I have something in there that might be convincing… I hope." I tried to tell her. She nodded and turned away, waiting for me to show her the way. I threw a helpless look over at my wife. Margaret just shrugged back, gesturing for me to go on.

I sighed and sullenly made my way to my study, Ann following me closely. I closed the door once she had followed me inside.

"Now Ann, I know that the past day or two has been… stressful." I started.

"Stressful? _Stressful_?" Ann scoffed at me. "No, I passed stressful after my house was broken into. Then, Charlie almost falls off the roof, I get caught in a high-speed car chase, my store and home have been ripped to shreds… and now I find out that someone knows who my foster daughter's real _father_ is, and yet no one told me until just now. I am _way _past stress." She argued, glaring at me as I fell backwards into my office chair.

We both stared at each other for a minute, letting her words sink in. Then, I cleared my throat as I sat up more in the rolling chair. I cautiously reached for the few papers that were spread out on the desk in front of me.

"I'm… sorry, about all of that, but I knew that I really didn't have the right to tell you…" I started again.

"You have the right when everyone else besides me knows!" she cried out in frustration. "I mean, she's _my _kid; If something like this were to happen to Jon, you'd want to know, wouldn't you?" she asked me. I stared at her, wondering if I should bring up the fact that Jon wasn't adopted. I decided that it probably wouldn't be all that wise.

"Yes, I'd like to know." I nodded as I stole a glance down at the papers in my hands. She finally gave a sigh.

"Alright, let me see what you've got." She reached her hand out towards me, her angry face being replaced by a small smile. I let my shoulders relax as I handed her the pages of Charlotte's history. I saw her brow furrow as she read through the contents of the papers.

"These… are Charlie's records." She stated, looking up at me again.

"Yes, but look at the sheet underneath that one. It's a list of occurrences that happened to the Gates." I told her. She studied the second paper, and slowly her face opened in surprise. "See how they match up?" I asked her.

"Oh my… yes, yes they do match up." She sighed as she turned her head back up to me. I smiled, seeing that I had won her over.

She handed the two papers back to me and started to walk aimlessly around my office. I watched her curiously, wondering how she was taking the news. She ended up by my bookcase, staring at something that was set up on one of the shelves. I saw her gently pick up the picture of Abigail that I had studied so often during my research on Charlotte.

"Is this- is this his wife?" she asked, her voice much softer now. I stood.

"Yes, that's Abigail Gates." I replied quietly. Ann nodded, still staring at the old picture.

"She… she looks almost exactly like Charlie." She flashed a weak grin.

"Yeah, that's what first convinced me." I told her as I walked over towards her. She gave a small sigh as she set the frame back down onto the shelf. I was quiet for a moment. "Are you alright?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I am. I just, I can't believe that I… she has a real mom now; I just… didn't expect to be replaced so quickly." She blew a piece of curly red hair out of her face.

"Actually, I don't think that…" I started to tell her about Abigail, but before I could explain anything a loud crash sounded from upstairs. Ann and I glanced up at the ceiling. "What was that?" I asked.

"I don't know; I left Charlie and Jon up in his room." She shrugged.

"Alone?" I asked with a gulp.

"Yeah…" Ann started.

"I'll be right back." I told her quickly, rushing out of the room.

* * *

I watched as Riley rushed up the stairs in a hurry and smiled. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed something going on between the two of them.

I gave a sigh as I looked back at the picture of Abigail Gates sadly. She was probably a better parent than I was anyway. At least I could go visit Charlie every once in a while… I hoped.

Suddenly, Riley's office phone rang and I jumped with surprise. Looking over, I saw it sitting on his desk. I peered over my shoulder at the empty foyer. Glancing back at the phone, I started over for it slowly. For some reason I had a sudden sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Glancing down at the caller ID, I found my cell phone number lighting up the screen. My breath caught in my throat.

Picking the reciever up, I brought it to my ear hesitantly.

"H-hello?" I answered cautiously.

Nothing.

I huffed, losing patience quickly due to my shattered nerves.

"Look, whoever this is, you'd better have a good reason for calling!" I demanded, putting a fist on my hip.

"We're coming for her… _again_." Came the calm reply. My blood went cold as I let the reciever fall out of my hands. The phone dangled on its cord, the loud buzzing it emitted telling me that whoever it was had already hung up. I stood still, staring at it in fear, before rushing out of the office as fast as possible.

* * *

I almost ran into Jon's door in my hurry. Luckily, I stopped myself in time. Catching my breath, I grabbed the doorknob and threw the door open.

Charlotte and Jon looked up from the TV. I saw that Guitar Hero was on the screen, and that both of them had guitar controls strapped onto their shoulders. I cleared my throat, trying to act casual.

"H-hey," I smiled, giving a small wave.

"Dad… what are you doing?" Jon asked, turning away from the video game. Charlotte watched the two of us silently.

"I was just… hey, we heard a crash from downstairs; what was that? Are you two okay?" I attempted a smiled.

"Oh, yeah; that was Char." He gestured over at the blonde-haired girl behind him, "She got a little… out of control with her guitar playing." He smiled over at her. She returned a sheepish smile. They both glanced back over at me.

"Well, I'm glad you're both safe and… um, Jon, do you remember a certain rule that we have about… _girls_… in your _room_?" I asked him quietly. Charlotte blushed as she took the guitar off of her shoulder. Jon was giving me a glare despite that his face was red with embarrassment.

"Dad, you didn't say anything about it last time, and I…" he started.

"No Jon, you know the rule." I returned, "No girls in your room when no one else is upstairs with you." I told him. "Now I'm sorry, but your mom and I would feel better if you two came back downstairs with the rest of us…"

"Riley!" Margaret cried from downstairs.

"What now?" I groaned, turning back around.

The lights went out as I faced the hallway, and the house slowly became silent. Charlotte and Jon walked up behind me, huddling close together.

"What's going on?" Jon whispered.

"Nothing, it's probably nothing. The power just went out, that's all." I turned my head back to them, hoping that I was right.

"But, our power never goes out unless it's stormy outside." Jon hissed back softly. I saw Charlotte's mind racing.

"Our power went out too… right before _they _broke in." she whispered quickly, her face pale. I could feel my own face paling as I remembered what Abel's Curios had looked like when Ann and I had gone back. I turned back to the hallway, my breathing shallow as I tried to listen for anything.

"Stay here… I'll be right back." I murmured, stepping out into the hallway.

"What happened to '_Come back downstairs with the rest of us'_?" Jon asked sarcastically after me. I chose to ignore him as I grew closer to the stairs.

* * *

A/N: Uh oh! Sounds like mystery man and his troupe of henchmen have located the Poole's address. This next chapter will have an ABBA song in it; I promise! I meant to put more music in here, but I've gotten so caught up in the plot that I haven't really had a chance yet. Thanks for reading and remember to review!

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	14. Into the Tunnel

**Chapter Fourteen**

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A/N: I don't own N.T. The song in this chapter is **The Visitors **by ABBA (who else?). The lyrics will be in **bold **as always. Try to find this song to listen to; it's very creepy sounding. I hope you guys enjoy! Keep on submitting those wonderful reviews; I love reading what you have to say about my writing. 

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Jon and I crouched down on the floor by his bedroom door, staring out into the dark hallway in fear. I was holding my breath and trying to appear as small as possible. If these were the same people who attacked my house… well, I didn't want to think about what they'd do to this place.

"Did you hear that?" Jon whispered into my ear.

**I hear the doorbell ring and suddenly the panic takes me**

**The sound so ominously tearing through the silence**

My heart stopped for a moment as I heard someone downstairs open the front door.

**I cannot move, I'm standing numb and frozen**

**Among the things I love so dearly**

**The books, the paintings and the furniture**

**Help me**

"Someone's inside…" I breathed.

**The signal's sounding once again as someone tries the doorknob**

**None of my friends would be so stupidly impatient**

**And they don't dare to come here anymore now**

**But how I loved our secret meetings**

**We talked and talked in quiet voices, smiling**

All of a sudden, the silence of the house was pierced by a bloodcurdling scream as the crash of broken glass was heard from the kitchen. I jumped, bumping into Jon unexpectedly. His eyes were wide with fright as the sound of more people entering his house was heard from downstairs.

**Now I hear them moving**

**Muffled noises coming through the door, I feel I'm**

**Cracking up**

**Voices growing louder, irritation building**

**And I'm close to fainting**

**Cracking up**

**They must know by now I'm in here trembling**

**In a terror ever growing**

**Cracking up**

**My whole world is falling, going crazy**

**There is no escaping, now I'm**

**Cracking up**

Loud voices broke out, and more screaming. Jon and I were cemented to the floor with fear. All of a sudden, someone jumped out in front of us. We both gave a frightened scream, falling backwards. I looked up to find Jon's dad standing in front of us, his eyes wild.

"We have to get out; Ann and Margaret are hiding downstairs, but we've got to hurry!" he panted, rushing over to us and helping us back up.

I was about to ask how we were going to escape until I saw where he was leading us; into Jon's bathroom. The noise of the intruders seemed to fade into the distance as a ray of hope shone through into the darkness.

"The secret tunnel…" I whispered in amazement, and probably relief. Jon paused in the doorway.

"But- that tunnel has so many branches and channels… we'll never find our way out of here!" he told his dad hurriedly.

"Don't worry; I have the original map of the tunnels. It's just down in our… bedroom." Riley gave a sigh.

We grew quiet as the ray of hope diminished slightly.

"Alright, no worries; I'll go get it while you two open the tunnel. Just wait for me inside." Riley explained hurriedly as he started to walk back out of the bathroom.

"But- what if they reach us before you get back?" Jon turned to his dad quickly. Riley stopped.

"Leave without me; just get away as fast as possible." He told us before disappearing again.

**These walls have witnessed all the anguish of humiliation**

**And seen the hope of freedom glow in shining faces**

**And now they've come to take me, come to break me**

**And yet it isn't unexpected**

**I have been waiting for these visitors**

**Help me**

**Now I hear them moving**

**Muffled noises coming through the door, I feel I'm **

**Cracking up**

**Voices growing louder, irritation building**

**And I'm close to fainting**

**Cracking up**

**They must know by now I'm in here trembling**

**In a terror ever growing**

**Cracking up**

**My whole world is falling, going crazy**

**There is no escaping, now I'm**

**Cracking up**

"We need a flashlight or two. Here, there should be some on my bookcase." Jon told me. I nodded, a small smile lighting up my face when he touched my shoulder.

I slunk out into his bedroom again, looking around to make sure that there was no one else in there with me. Sighing, I rushed over to Jon's bookcase, searching through the shelves until I found two small flashlights next to an old family picture. I grabbed them up quickly and was about to turn around to go back into the bathroom when a golden glint caught my eye. I found the templar pendant where Ann had left it. Biting my lip, I grabbed it also and slipped it on as I ran back to the bathroom, tucking it under my shirt.

**Now I hear them moving**

**Muffled noises coming through the door, I feel I'm**

**Cracking up**

**Voices growing louder, irritation building**

**And I'm close to fainting**

**Cracking up**

**(I have been waiting for these visitors)**

**They must know by now ****I'm in here trembling**

**In a terror ever growing**

**Cracking up**

**(I have been waiting for these visitors)**

**My whole world is falling, going crazy**

**There is no escaping, now I'm**

**Cracking up**

**(I have been waiting for these visitors)**

**Now I hear them moving**

**Muffled voices**** coming through the door, I feel I'm**

**Cracking up**

**(I have been waiting for these visitors)**

**Voices growing louder, irritation building**

**And I'm close to fainting**

**Cracking up**

**(I have been waiting for these visitors)**

**They must know by now I'm in here trembling**

**In a terror ever growing**

**Cracking up**

**(I have been waiting for these visitors)**

**My whole world is falling, going crazy...**

* * *

"Got them." Charlotte nodded to me as she returned.

"Good, I'm trying to get it open." I grunted, having trouble with the crown molding in the dark. Finally there was a sliding noise and a gust of brisk wind as the secret door opened. I was for once glad that the ancient device didn't depend on electricity to open it, otherwise we would be trapped.

Charlotte and I stood in front of the gaping hole, not wanting to move. I held my breath, hoping that my dad would be here soon. I didn't want to leave him here; I _wouldn't_ leave him here. No matter what, he was going to come with us.

* * *

I snuck back to my bedroom, staring downstairs nervously. I hoped that whoever was inside couldn't hear my heart beating. The stair banister was right outside our bedroom door, so I would have to risk being seen; but we needed that map.

I stopped as I heard one of the men downstairs turn to the others.

"Did you hear something? It sounded like it came from upstairs…" he started to twist his gaze around to my direction, and I grimaced. He was going to see me.

Suddenly, a loud banging noise came from my office. The men downstairs all turned to stare at the closed door. Then, they rushed over. I held my breath, knowing that that was where my wife and Ann were hiding, and that they had created the distraction for my sake. Part of me wanted to rush downstairs and stop the bad guys, but I knew that I needed to get that map if we wanted to get our kids out of here safely. With a shuddering breath I reluctantly closed the distance between me and the master bedroom.

Going inside, I quickly opened my sock drawer and retrieved the ancient yellowed paper from where it had always been kept. I stuck it inside my jacket and went back to the bedroom door. Peering around the corner, I glimpsed the foyer downstairs.

The group of five or six men had brought out Ann and Margaret and were now making sure that they couldn't escape by holding onto their arms strongly. I gulped, trying to swallow the surge of anger I felt rising inside of me.

"Now I know that you two aren't in here alone, are you?" one rather tall, thin man asked as he paced in front of the two women. Ann and Margaret just glared up at him silently. He gave a small chuckle, leaning down towards them. "I know that Charlotte's here somewhere, and Jonathan and Riley too. Where are they? Surely they haven't left before the party even started now, did they?" he asked, his voice trying to hide his fury.

Again the two women were silent, lowering their stares to keep from being frightened by this man's anger. His laughter stopped.

All of a sudden, his hand shot out and he grabbed Margaret away from the muscular man that was keeping a grip on her. I heard her cry out in pain as he twisted her arm around, pushing her up against the wall roughly. Ann winced, and I almost jumped out from my hiding place, my breathing coming more heavily now that my wife was in danger.

"Just tell me what I want, and I'll let you go." The man whispered into her ear, a smirk on his hidden face. I saw Margaret's eyes dart up to where I was for just a split second before she lowered her gaze again. The man looked up where her eyes had traveled, and I had to duck farther behind the door in order to not be seen.

Pressing myself up against the wall, I tried to control my breathing. I was scared and angry and worried and grateful all at once. Margaret would sacrifice herself just so that Charlotte, Jon and I could have a chance of escape.

"Fine; don't cooperate." The man muttered, "But just try and see how far that'll get you." I heard a thud as Margaret was thrown to the floor. Then, she whimpered and sounded as if she were trying to crawl away. I couldn't take it anymore.

I leapt from my hiding place and rushed back down the hall to Jon's room, hoping that no one had seen me besides Margaret.

* * *

Charlotte and I were still waiting for my dad, and we were both scared to death. I had heard a commotion downstairs, and I had hoped that they hadn't found where our mothers were hiding. Finally Char turned to me.

"Jon, I think we should go." She whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder. I avoided her gaze, staring out in front of me desperately.

"No, he's coming." I told her.

"Jon…" she sighed, "We need to go." She sounded urgent, as if she knew that someone was coming upstairs right now to get us. I let my shoulders sink.

"Alright… we can go." I told her quietly. She gave a faint smile.

"Thank you…" she breathed, gently taking my hand and leading me to the tunnel's entrance. We stepped inside the cold darkness, and I started to slowly close the secret door behind us. Just before I sealed it close, a hand stopped the door. Char and I almost fell over, sure that we had been caught. Then, the door was pulled open and my dad's face appeared.

"What, leaving without me?" he grinned weakly. I felt a smile growing on my face, and I pulled him inside.

"I knew you'd make it back in time!" I told him happily. He pulled me into a warm hug, and I could feel him shaking. That probably frightened me more than sitting in the dark waiting for the bad guys.

"I wouldn't leave you two high and dry." He whispered to me, his voice husky for some reason.

He turned and shut the door properly, and I handed him a flashlight. We walked down the tunnel until we reached a fork. My dad took out the map and studied it with a puzzled face.

"Now, according to this… we should probably take… that tunnel right there." He pointed with his flashlight at the far right one.

We continued on like this for nearly an hour. My flashlight started flickering as the batteries died slowly. Char had been quiet for the most part and was now stumbling on behind us sleepily. I looked back at her as my dad studied the archaic map once again.

"Are you okay?" I asked her softly. Her eyelids kept trying to close, and her face had softened with tiredness.

"Yeah, I'm just _so_ sleepy…" she murmured, trying to open her eyes again. I smiled despite our current situation.

"Here, let me help you." I told her, slinging her arm around my shoulder and taking her by the waist, making sure that her feet kept moving as we followed my dad deeper into the catacomb area. She smiled as she slipped further and further away from consciousness. Pretty soon, she was asleep.

Finally, just when I thought that my dad had managed to get us hopelessly lost, we came to what looked like the mouth of a forgotten cave. Shards of moonlight shone through the thick cobwebs of ivy vines. My dad brushed the exit open for us, and the three of us broke out into the night air.

We were in the middle of what looked like a forest, no civilization in sight. The moonlight reflected off of the greenery that surrounded us. This seemed so different from the dark, musty air inside the tunnels that at first I thought that we had been transported into a different world.

Then, exhaustion hit as I stumbled, Char's weight finally getting to me. I had been carrying her for the past half-hour. My dad glanced over at me sympathetically.

"Here, I know a safe place where we can sleep…" He once again led us off, this time hopefully not so far away.

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A/N: another chapter down. We're still not quite running out of steam yet, the adventure's only just begun! Next up- Ben Gate's house! Review please!

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	15. Finding Ben

**Chapter Fifteen**

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A/N: I don't own N.T. Are you guys ready for the longest chapter so far in this whole story? Well, get reading! (and don't forget to review!) 

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I heard birds singing and could feel a warm breeze stirring my hair gently, trying to wake me up. Taking in a deep breath, I let my eyes flutter open. We were in a church; one that had long ago been abandoned by the looks of the inside. The soft morning sun was filtering in through old broken stained glass windows and parts of the roof where the rafters were missing.

Looking around, I found Riley asleep up by the front, near the altar. Jon was curled up in one of the pews across from me. I smiled as I saw his face lit up with sunshine, stained orange and yellow from the windows. As I slowly sat up, I noticed that I had been wrapped up in Jon's large brown jacket. My smile grew as I draped it over my shoulders, still not quite warm enough. I glanced once more back over at him secretly.

His brown hair was tousled from sleep and his arm was hanging haphazardly off the edge of the wooden pew. I walked over quietly and kissed him gently on the side of his face. He murmured something incoherent as he stirred in his sleep, a small smile showing up on his face.

"Charlotte… are you up?" I heard Riley mumble tiredly from the front of the church. I stood quickly, hoping that he hadn't just seen what I had done.

"Uh, yeah… I'm up." I nodded as I padded over to him. He was just starting to stand, stretching and groaning to get rid of the sleep that was clouding his head. "I-uh, where… _are_ we, exactly?" I asked him after a moment. His eyes darted over to the still-sleeping Jon before he answered.

"This used to be a church back in the… oh, I don't know how long ago it was. I was never one for memorizing dates and events. Ben would know; it's on his property." Riley told me, starting over for Jon. I followed him closely, wondering if I had heard correctly.

"Wait, so right now we're on Ben Gate's property?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's right. Those tunnels run all underneath parts of the city, and when I found out that one went all the way to the Gate's land I knew that I had to get the house; I had a feeling that it would come in handy one day." He nodded as we stopped in front of Jon. Another smile lit up my face as Riley stooped over and tried to shake Jon gently from his sleep. We were so close to the people who were supposedly my real parents. I could barely stop myself from laughing with anticipation. I was going to finally find my real family!

"Jon, Jon… wake up…" Riley called out gently to his son.

"What?" Jon mumbled as his eyes opened slowly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, but we need to get moving if we want to stay ahead of those men who broke into our house last night." Riley told him, helping him sit up.

Jon blinked as he woke, his wonderful blue eyes finding me. A smile came onto his face as he stood up slowly. I smiled back at him, partly from my excitement and partly because that's what I always felt like doing around Jon.

Riley led us out of the church and we found ourselves in the middle of a forest. I stared around at the trees and bushes, my breath caught in my throat.

"What is it Char?" Jon asked, noticing me gaping around at our surroundings.

"This place…" I whispered, "Its… familiar." I turned to Jon and his dad. "I've been here before." I told them.

"But, that's impossible!" Riley told me. "Ben has his land surrounded by electric fences and his house surrounded by tall iron gates. You'd have to be a criminal to break onto his property!" he told me. I touched a tree trunk that was by me, blinking.

"It was- I have these nightmares sometimes, and I know that they have to do with something from my past, but…" I trailed off as I studied the woods around us.

"What happens in these nightmares?" Jon asked me. I closed my eyes, trying to remember.

"I'm always little… like a baby. I'm inside a house with a man and his wife, and then something attacks them and sets the house on fire. The woman escapes with me, but she falls down once we reach a forest area… and she drops me." I sighed, opening my eyes again, finding the two men staring at me. "That's when I always wake up." I shrugged.

Riley seemed to be lost in his own whirling thoughts as he continued to stare. Jon finally woke him up.

"Dad!" he yelled.

"What?" Riley asked, finally taking his eyes off of me.

"I didn't even think about this last night and… where's mom and Ann?" Jon asked softly. Riley now stared at his son, his piercing eyes gazing at Jon's face. Finally, he turned away from both of us.

"The men… they took both of them." He sighed, "I-I was about to be caught and your mom- she made a distraction so I could get away… so all of us could get away." He tried to explain.

"So, they were both caught?" Jon asked. Riley nodded numbly.

"There was… the one man, who looked like he was the leader, he…" Riley tried to control his voice, but even I heard the anger in it, "He took Margaret and threatened her, hurting her. It was all I could do to not run downstairs and save her… or at least try to." He exhaled slowly.

Jon and I stood next to each other as his dad slowly got a hold of himself again. Finally Riley turned back to us.

"Let's get going; the faster we find Ben, the faster we get to the end of this." He stalked off, heading towards one end of the forest. Jon and I glanced at each other before running to catch up.

* * *

I hadn't slept last night, not when the rest of my family was out there in danger. I trusted Riley to get Jon and Charlotte to safety, but still. Whoever had captured us was clever and knew too much for his own good.

Ann whimpered next to me, blinking her eyes open from sleep. The two of us had been tied up and taken to a building somewhere, left inside a small, cold room. The younger woman had managed to finally fall asleep, but it was a restless and uneven sleep. All of a sudden, the door opened and a single man entered; the man who had taken us last night. Ann and I stared as he slowly approached us, letting the door shut behind him. He stopped about two feet away, and I could finally see his face.

It was a beautiful face, no doubt, but it held a trace of hatred in it somewhere. His hair, long and golden, was tied back to keep it from falling down to his shoulders and his eyes were chillingly dark as he studied us closely.

"So, It's Margaret and Ann that I've captured, is it?" he smiled. None of us answered. He gave a dry laugh. "Still keeping quiet? Well, that's fine. I already have a good idea of where the rest of your little group has gone off to. I just don't know how they escaped last night. Oh well, a little mystery always makes everything fun." He shrugged, starting to pace in front of us.

"Who are you? How did you find us?" I spat out. The man glanced down at me and I squirmed under his gaze.

"So you _do _talk." He smirked, finding a stool and taking a seat in front of me and Ann. "How nice. You want answers? I'll give you a few; I have a little free time before I must leave." He replied. "First of all, I'm not after you two, or even Riley or Jonathan for that matter. I need Charlotte; She's the one who Ben lost so many years ago, and she can lead us to the treasure."

"Treasure? What treasure?" Ann asked.

"Ben's treasure; he has a whole mountain of money left over from that little templar hunt they all went on so long ago. I want it." He told us.

"Why his money? Couldn't you just rob whoever you wanted to rob?" I asked. He fixed me with a glare.

"I want his money because I also want revenge. I was supposed to inherit a fortune that could easily rival the Gate's. And yet, my uncle's money was taken away before I could get a hold of it. I was the _only_ heir to that money, and the government took it all away; and it was all due to Benjamin Gates." He scowled.

"But- how did you find out about Charlotte? How did you find us at the Poole's?" Ann asked.

"That was all too easy Ann. Don't tell me that you didn't recognize me." he smiled at her, leaning down close. Ann blinked as her face became surprised.

"You… You're Stan, that guy I went on the blind date with!" she cried. The man laughed as he sat back again.

"Actually, my name's not Stan; it's Kain. I was hoping that you'd remember me." He grinned. "I got all the information I needed from that date. Your name, Charlotte's history, how you both lived above the curios store you owned. It wasn't all that difficult to find you."

"See, this is why I didn't want to stay for dessert!" the woman cried, her voice trembling as realization landed on her.

"After me and my men broke into your house, we found your phone on the floor. Riley's number was programmed into it, and my friend Max managed to find out quite a bit about Riley from a little thing called the internet." He told us, starting to stand.

Ann glanced down at the floor and I glared after the man.

"I would like to thank you for all the help you gave. Now, I'd love to stick around and chat some more, but I've got some treasure hunting I have to go do." He nodded back to us as he shut the door. Then, it was silent again.

Ann took a shaky breath, her head hanging down limply. I turned to her with worry.

"Are you alright Ann?" I asked her softly.

"It's all my fault… this whole thing is all _my_ fault." She whispered, turning her head away from me.

* * *

The three of us stood outside the imposing iron gate, staring at the large house inside that was hidden beneath layers of vines and overgrown trees. The only thing that stood between us and my parents was the ten foot iron fence that circled the mansion. Riley gave a sigh.

"Well, the last time I was over here this gate didn't seem quite so tall; I guess because I didn't have to break in. I'm going to go look for some sort of way to get inside; you two stay here by the front gate until I get back." Jon's dad told us as he disappeared.

Jon and I were quiet as we were left alone again. Finally, I exhaled slowly and sat down on the thick grass. Jon sat down next to me, glancing over at me every so often. I caught his eyes about the third time he was studying me.

"What is it? Is my hair messed up?" I asked him with a small smile.

"No, it's just… you've been through so much in the past few days, and yet... you still haven't cried once." Jon told me. I cocked my head quizzically.

"Is there… something wrong with that?" I asked him. He slowly shook his head, gazing at me.

"No, no… it's just…" he sighed, leaning towards me, "Char, I feel like I get so close to understanding you… but you don't ever let anyone in. I mean, I feel like I know you _so well_, but you always seem to act like nothing is ever enough to hurt you, and I know that it is. I just… Why? Why don't you ever let anyone see you cry?" He whispered.

I grew quiet as he stared at me, and suddenly I felt my eyes get cold as they filled with tears. I dropped my head, blinking so that they'd disappear. I _could not_ let Jon see me cry. Suddenly, a hand was underneath my chin, lifting my head back up. I met Jon's brilliant eyes reluctantly, my breathing uneven as I fought with my emotions.

"It's okay Char… why don't you just cry?" he asked me so softly that I could barely hear him.

I looked off to the side quickly, hoping that I could keep my composure. Jon's eyes were still on me; I could feel them. Biting my lip, I swung my gaze back to him. He was still staring at me questioningly. I took a ragged breath.

"... because I'm scared." I told him, my voice breaking as I spoke. Jon sighed, his eyes giving me a tender look as he let his mouth open slightly. And then he pulled me into a tight hug, and I took a few deep breaths, glad that he couldn't see the single tear that was snaking down my cheek slowly.

* * *

"Looks like the only way in is through the front gate, and only then if you have a key." My dad sighed as he trudged back to us looking discouraged. Charlotte and I stood up, trying to act as if nothing had happened between us.

"Doesn't he have a doorbell or something?" I asked as Char wandered off behind us quietly. Riley shook his head sullenly.

"The last time we were over here, he got mad at me and told me that he never wanted to see me again. I'm pretty sure that if we rang the doorbell he wouldn't answer." He leaned against the cold metal bars slowly.

"I got it!" Char called out. My dad and I turned to find her standing in front of the large front gate, holding the necklace emblazoned with her name triumphantly. The gate was slowly swinging open with a groan. I glanced over at Riley before we both rushed over.

"But, that's impossible! How on earth…" My dad's brow furrowed. Char gave a happy smirk as she fastened the golden necklace back across her neck.

"How did you do that?" I asked her.

"Magic; and… I have a key." She shrugged, running through the gate and into the front yard. My dad and I exchanged a glance before chasing after her.

"So… your necklace was the key?" Riley asked as we caught back up to her.

"Yeah, I found where there should've been a lock, and my necklace seemed to fit. I don't know what I did, but the gate just suddenly sprang open." She explained as my dad led us over to a group of bushes that were close to the front porch.

"Wow, that's really ingenious…" Riley mused as we ducked down, "Using an object like that as a key, and then you wouldn't have to worry about anyone trying to steal it unless they somehow knew…" I could see the gears in his head churning as he started to piece together a whole security system based on jewelry.

"Dad," I snapped him back into reality, "What are we doing? How are we supposed to get inside the house?"

"No worries there; I helped install this security system myself. I can disable the alarm from inside if we just go in through the front door. Ready?" he asked the two of us. Char and I nodded.

My dad led us to the front door quickly, pulling out his driver's licencse from his back pocket. Slipping it in between the door and the lock, he jiggled it slightly. There was a click, and then he held the door open, allowing Char and I to get inside before he followed us. A faint beeping noise was coming from a security keypad on the wall. My dad went over and messed with it for a few seconds before the sound was shut off. "And we are inside, safe and sound." He nodded, coming back over to us.

All of a sudden, a light was flipped on as someone entered the room.

"Very good. Now, before I turn you into the police, I just want to know how you got past the system. The only person I know who could do that is…" the man paused as he saw my dad, "… Riley."

"Hey, Ben…" My dad gave a small, nervous wave.

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A/N: Yeah! Ben Gates has finally made it into the story! Sorry, but you're going to have to wait until the next chapter to find out a little bit more of the mystery. At least you have a better idea of who the bad guys could be. Thank you all again for reading and reviewing! Another chapter is on its way!

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	16. A Family at Last

**Chapter Sixteen**

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A/N: I still don't own N.T. Alright, I know all of you are eager to find out what happens so enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review! (It's an emotional one, so get your kleenex ready!) 

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Jon and I were sitting uncomfortly in a small sitting area that was surrounded by wall to wall bookcases. We had each been given a large chunk of some stale lemon cake, but I didn't find myself very hungry. I finally set my plate and fork down on the mahogany coffee table that was in front of us with a determined _clink_.

Jon looked over at me, still chewing a bite of his own cake. I gave him a weak smile before my eyes were drawn across the small hallway to Ben's study where he and Riley had disappeared to. I could faintly hear their voices as they argued over something. I watched Ben as he talked, his thin glasses perched on top of his head as he paced. Was he really my father? He _did_ have the same gray eyes as me, and there seemed to be something familiar in his receding hairline that was slowly turning silver. His face was drawn with deep lines, almost as if time had eroded the wrinkles onto his skin. I found a small smile slipping onto my face as I stared at him.

Jon was gazing at me, a weak smile on his face as well. It all seemed so bittersweet, what with us finally finding Ben, but also losing so much along the way. I gave a sigh as I stood, heading over to one of the bookshelves. Jon followed behind me; I could feel that his eyes were still on me. I read through the book spines that were exposed, and my smile grew as I found that all of them were about American history.

Then my eyes found a forgotten picture frame. I paused before picking it up gently. I almost dropped it as I looked at the photo inside. The picture was of a woman who had to have been Abigail Gates, Ben's wife… my mom.

"Wow…" Jon whispered from behind me as we both studied the picture, "She looks exactly like you." He smiled. I nodded slowly.

The woman in the picture had blonde hair like me, only longer, and her face structure was similar as well. I smiled as I fingered the picture in awe. My mom…

* * *

"Ben, just calm down!" I told him, trying to keep my voice low so that the kids wouldn't hear us.

"Calm down? You sneak onto my property, break into my house, and claim that some girl you found off of the street is my… _my daughter_!?" Ben cried back, ending in a sigh as he turned away from me. I was quiet for a second, letting him cool off.

"Okay, it sounds pretty bad when you put it that way." I stated, leaning over his desk. He fixed me with a glare and I avoided his angry eyes. "Ben, her records match up with the dates, she has the necklace… she _loves _history. Ben, she has to be…" I tried again.

"No, Riley! Just because some girl wears a necklace with the name of my daughter on it doesn't mean that she's my daughter!" he told me, spinning back around to face me. "Riley, I know that this is hard for you to understand, but try really, _really _hard to, alright?" he stood closer to me, "My daughter, my family… they don't exist, no matter how much you or I want them to. I've given up hope long ago, and you need to do the same thing." He told me sternly. I stared at him, not believing that this had been the same man who had found a treasure so long ago that wasn't even supposed to exist.

Ben turned to the door and stopped as his eyes found Charlotte and Jon. I walked up behind him slowly, peering out as the two teenagers laughed about something in the library.

"Every time I look at her, I see Abigail." I told him softly as he stared out at her. Charlotte's golden necklace glimmered in the faint sunlight, sending specks of reflected light upon the walls. One of the specks of light caught a tear that was trailing down Ben's cheek.

"You can't give up hope when what you've always wanted is standing right in front of you. Ben… she's your daughter; she has to be." I whispered to him. He turned his tired eyes back to me, and then gazed again at the girl in front of us with a heavy sigh.

* * *

"Hey Jon, can you come here for a moment?" Riley asked from the doorway of the library we were in.

"Yeah, sure…" Jon nodded as he trotted over to his dad. I started to follow, but Riley stopped me.

"_Without_ Charlotte." He told his son as his eyes darted over to me. Jon glanced back at me and I gave a nervous nod. He smiled before going over to where his dad was. Riley nodded at me gently before leading Jon out of the way. As they disappeared, I saw Ben standing behind where the two had been.

My face paled as I forgot how to breathe. Ben looked up at where I was, and I thought that I could see a hint of a smile come onto his face. He strode into the room over to where I was standing, and I fidgeted as he got close. For a minute, we both stood still, wrapped up in an awkward silence. We kept stealing glances at each other, not quite believing what was standing in front of us. Finally, Ben cleared his throat.

"So, um, Riley there tells me that you're my…" he swallowed heavily, "… daughter."

We both glanced away, as if the fact were embarrassing. I ran a shaky hand through my unkempt shoulder-length hair. I shook out a leaf that had been caught in some of the strands nervously. Why did I suddenly find myself hoping that the floor would open up and swallow me? Then, Ben glanced back over at me and I realized that he was expecting me to say something.

"Um… yeah, he's really convinced that I am… your- _daughter_." I finished, stumbling over the words. Ben gave a nod before turning to the bookcase. I turned with him and we were both quiet again, staring at the books in front of us. The sound of a faraway ticking clock grew thunderous in the silence.

"Where did you get the necklace?" he asked me casually, nodding his head down at the golden chain around my neck as he tried to lighten the heavy silence. I picked it up gently.

"I've always had it; that's how they named me at the shelter." I told him, staring down at the necklace that had my name emblazoned across it. "Yeah, it- um, unlocked your front gate out there…" I trailed off with a shrug. He stole a quick stare at me as I let go of the necklace.

"So… you never knew your birth parents?" he asked me. I glanced up at him sharply. He didn't believe that I was his daughter; I could tell from his voice.

"No-no, I've never known them…" I sighed as I stared back down at my feet. We both returned to being silent. Finally, I gave a heavy sigh as I turned to him. "Look, I'm sorry about coming here if we bothered you, but apparently it was all a waste of time. It's just-" I broke off as my voice quivered. I took a deep breath to steady myself as Ben turned his gaze down to me. "I just… I really wanted to find my _real_ parents." I blinked and looked away.

Ben was silent as he watched me. I shook my head as I reached down to my neck again. Grabbing a hold of the golden templar pendant that had been hidden under the collar of my shirt, I untied the leather cord and held it out to him. When Ben saw what I had, his face became surprised.

"Look, I think that this belongs to you. Ann had it in her shop and Riley thought that you had used it as a key in your house for something." I explained softly. Ben reached out slowly for it, his gray eyes searching my face.

"Charlotte…" he closed his eyes as he touched the pendant, "The secret lies with Charlotte…" he trailed off quietly. His voice had changed; it had become softer and gentler all of a sudden.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Charlotte… you had such big gray eyes, and your nose would always crinkle up when you laughed. I remember now…" his eyes opened as he fixed his gaze on me again. I gulped. "And you had a birthmark… it was on your ankle." He told me.

I stared at him before slowly reaching down to lift the leg of my jeans up. My ankle held a small brown dot that always looked like a splatter of paint to me. Ben gave a sharp intake of air as we looked down at the birth mark together in amazement.

Slowly our eyes traveled up and we found each other. Both of our faces held amazed smiles as realization hit us.

"So it's true…" he stepped closer.

"You really are…" I whispered as he pulled me into a hug.

I glanced up at the man who really was my father and I let my smile grow bigger. I had found my family… _my_ family!

* * *

"Wait!" Charlotte pulled herself away from our embrace. I looked down at her as she turned back to the bookshelf. I watched as she gently picked up a delicate picture frame. My face paled as she held it out to me and I saw that it was an old photo of Abigail. "What about her? Isn't she your wife… my, my mom?" she asked softly.

I clenched my jaw as I took the picture and stared at it before glancing down again at the rather plain girl who was currently standing in front of me.

"Charlotte…" I sighed, setting the picture frame face down back onto the shelf, "Abby, she- I can't…" I stopped to clear my thoughts before trying again. "Charlotte… do you know what happened to us long ago, how we lost each other?" I asked her softly. She shook her head as she stared up at me with her big gray eyes. I almost smiled despite my sadness.

"Come with me," I took her soft hand and led her over to a small couch. She sat down next to me, shuffling her feet. I held her hand tightly, making her look up at me.

"Back when you had just turned two, me and Abby were so happy. We finally had a family to build. It was almost a week after your second birthday when we were all sitting in the living room downstairs together. We were just, talking and laughing… that was, until I smelled the smoke. I found the hallway on fire, the flames spreading to the curtains.

"I told Abigail to keep you safe as I tried to set the fire out. Then, all of a sudden, someone jumped out of nowhere and attacked me. I knew I had to keep you two safe; I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I couldn't. I fought back as best as I could, but the smoke and the heat and the fear got to me in the end. Whoever had attacked me hit me over the head with something heavy, and the last thing I saw was Abigail as she ran out the back door.

"I woke up a few hours later, my house swarming with firemen and police. They still hadn't found Abigail or you yet. I made sure that I went out with the next search party; I needed to find you, I needed to know that you were safe.

"It was dawn when we found Abby. She had collapsed in the middle of the forest that surrounds our house. She had inhaled too much smoke…" I paused for a second as I realized that there were tears streaming down my face, "She had been dead for a few hours already, but you weren't with her.

"I remember searching through every inch of the land that surrounded our property. After that, I tried to find you in local hospitals and… after awhile it just... grew too painful. I gave up hope and decided that it was best to just go home and put this whole thing behind me. Fifteen years I've lived here alone, almost no visitors; and still I have nightmares about that night. I relive it each time I close my eyes." I stared at the other end of the room, not daring to look at Charlotte.

Suddenly, her arms wrapped around my neck as she pulled me into a tight embrace. I blinked, caught off guard by her sudden gesture. Her golden hair was in my face, reflecting the sun into my swollen eyes.

"I'm so… I'm sorry." I whispered to her as I cautiously placed my arms around her back, drawing her into a hug.

"I am too…" she murmured, her voice strained. It was then I realized that she wasn't crying.

* * *

A/N: Oh… tender moment. I told you that this was going to be an emotional chapter! Come back for more excitement in the next chapter as the bad guys crash the party once again. Stupid bad guys, always ruining the good moments! Review if you liked it! 

* * *


	17. The Gate's House

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

A/N: I don't own N.T. Another transition chapter. We're sprinting towards the finish line; after this chapter there's probably only two or three more. The words in **bold **in this chapter are from the ABBA song **The winner takes it **all. Sad song; although some of the lyrics don't actually make sense in the story, most of the lines were perfect for some Ben/Abby tragedy. I hope you enjoy! 

* * *

I sighed, closing my eyes as I relaxed. I had finally been given the chance to clean up; Ben had even given me a new set of clothes to wear. I didn't point out when he had handed them to me that they must have belonged to Abigail.

I was now soaking in a claw-footed bathtub that was in the bathroom around the corner from my room (well, the room I was going to spend the night in at least). It was a long bathroom and had a door close to the tub that opened into my room. Above the bathtub was a small square window, from which I could see the pitch dark blackness outside. The window ledge held a hodge-podge of candles that I had lit.

I sighed happily, glad that I could wash away the events of the past few days. If only I knew that Ann and Margaret were safe; then I wouldn't have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. But at least for now we had a break from the bad guys.

Ben and I had talked the whole afternoon while Riley and Jon were no where to be found. They had both conveniently shown up for dinner. Then, after we had eaten, Ben had shown us to a group of rooms that was close to his where we could spend the night. Riley and Jon were going to share one; I had one to myself. It was only then that I had realized that I was the only girl in our small group. I was always so used to being around Ann that now… it felt weird being the only girl.

The hallway door to the bathroom swung open and I then realized that I hadn't locked it. I snapped my eyes open as I sat up, a gasp escaping my mouth. Jon stood in the open doorway, frozen in place. For a second we stared at each other in unbelief. Then, as both our faces reddened, I sunk down underneath the bubbles in the bathtub until only my eyes peeked out above the water.

"I-I'm sorry, I just… I should've knocked." Jon mumbled as he looked away. I tried to say something back, but ended up sputtering with a mouthful of water. He glanced back up at me as I coughed, splashing as I tried to breath, and his face screwed up into a smile.

"Help…" I gasped sarcastically, "I'm drowning!" I giggled. Jon laughed a little before looking away again.

"Here, I'll leave you alone until you're done." He told me as he softly shut the door. I smiled as it closed, my face still warm from blushing.

* * *

"I know that those guys must be right behind us. We'll probably only have a day at most until they find where we are. We need to come up with something." I explained to Ben as we both stooped over a map of his property that was spread out on his desk.

"Yes, I know, I'm just… trying to think of a plan." He sighed, studying the map.

"Got anything yet?" I asked him, with a faint smile. He looked up at me.

"I'm still working on it." He told me, a small smile on his face too. A day with Charlotte, and he was already a little bit more like his old self.

We both heard a door opening from down the hallway, and then Charlotte and Jon walked past us. Charlotte was dressed in some borrowed flannel pajamas and her hair was wet, whereas Jon was still wearing his clothes from the past two days.

"Oh, hey dad!" Jon waved as they passed by. Charlotte gazed at Ben shyly, a small smile lighting up her face as she nodded at him. The two of us watched as they walked past. Then, we glanced back at each other as they disappeared.

"Should we go follow them?" Ben asked. I grinned.

"So I'm not the only one who has noticed something between those two!" I snapped my fingers triumphantly. Ben nodded, turning back to the map.

"I saw them kissing today, after dinner." He told me casually. I dropped the pencil I had been holding as my mouth fell open.

"What?" I asked him weakly. He looked over at me again.

"I walked past the dining room and they were in there talking, and then they kissed." He explained, slower this time.

"They were… _kissing_?" I gawked.

"Yes, Riley; that's usually what people do when they like each other." He told me sarcastically, "They kiss, along with hugging, holding hands, and various other displays of affection."

"Yeah, but I didn't know that they were… _kissing_." I scoffed. Ben sat down into his office chair, leaning back and staring at me.

"Jon's first girlfriend?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"No… he had one in eighth grade. But back then, it was cute. Now, it just seems…" I trailed off as I tried to think of the right word.

"Dangerous?" Ben suggested.

"Yes! Dangerous!" I pointed at him. He nodded.

"Well, although I haven't had much experience as a parent yet, I say that we trust them… for now." He told me. I stared at him for another minute, blinking.

"Trust them? _Trust them_?" I gaped, "That's exactly the opposite of what parents are supposed to do!"

"Riley, just calm down. You can go check on them if you want to, but I think I can trust the two of them; they look like they're good kids." He nodded at me. I stared at him a moment longer before bending over the map again, pretending as if it were no big deal.

We were both quiet for a few minutes until Ben finally sat back with a sigh.

"Riley, go check on them." He told me.

"Thank you!" I sighed as I rushed out the door. I ran down the hallway quickly, finally finding where our kids had gone off to; they were back in the library. I paused before rushing in on them, remembering what had happened last time. Peeking in at the two, I saw them sitting on the floor staring at something. I peered in closer. Charlotte was flipping through an old book and Jon was sitting next to her, a smile on his face as he stared at her.

"See, here it is!" Charlotte told him triumphantly as she pointed to something on a page she had found. "I told you that Thomas Gates was a stable boy, not a household servant."

"Okay, okay," Jon smiled, "So you were right about that. _But,_ what was the clue that Thomas Gates was given?" he asked her, his grin widening. Charlotte squinted as she thought.

"Oh… it was…" she bit her lip, "Go find the… something about a ship…" she gave a sigh as her shoulders sunk. "Okay, so I don't know _that_." She admitted. Jon gave a haughty grin as he leaned closer towards her.

"The first clue that Thomas Gates was given was… _the secret lies with Charlotte_." He whispered. Charlotte smiled up at him, their faces close. I was about to jump in and intervene when she suddenly sat up straighter.

"You just made that up." She told him, an unimpressed look on her face. Jon stared at her.

"No I didn't, my dad told me it was _the secret lies with Charlotte_!" he countered. She turned her gaze on him.

"Prove it." She sniffed.

"Alright, I will!" Jon replied, grabbing up the book they had been looking through. I turned back to the hallway, shaking my head as I laughed silently.

We have some very _weird_ kids.

* * *

I watched as Vick disabled the electric fence that surrounded the Gate's property. It was only a matter of time now… soon we'd have Charlotte and the treasure. I studied the dark woods around us with a smile.

"Hey boss…" Piper asked from behind me. I almost jumped. That girl gave me the creeps sometimes how easily she could sneak around. I scowled as I turned to her.

"Yes Piper?" I asked her.

"How do you expect to get your hands on Ben's money? What, do you think he'll be so willing that he'll just hand it over to you?" she asked, a small grin on her face.

"Oh, I think he'll be very willing. Ben wouldn't choose all the money in the world over his daughter, especially if her life were in danger." I smiled coldly.

* * *

I finally escaped to my bedroom around two in the morning, giving up on the small and seemingly hopeless plan that I had been forming in the back of my mind. As the door closed and I flicked a lamp on, my gaze shifted around the large room which I had once shared with Abigail so long ago.

**I don't want to talk about the things we've gone through**

**Though it's hurting me, now it's history**

**I've played all my cards and that's what you've done too**

**Nothing more to say, no more ace to play**

**The winner takes it all, the loser standing small**

**Beside the victory that's her destiny**

Suddenly struck with a wave of grief, I sat on the empty bed, hearing it groan with my weight. I looked over onto my nightstand and found the picture of Abby that I always kept there. Sighing, I gently reached over towards it, almost as if I were afraid of it.

**I was in your arms thinking I belonged there**

**I figured it made sense, building me a fence**

**Building me a home thinking I'd be strong there**

**But I was a fool, playing by the rules**

I had gone so long without feeling, with trying to put everything behind me. Today when I had found Charlotte, it had reawakened something inside of me, a spark of life. But with that spark, a lot of old wounds had opened again. Riley was right; Charlotte was almost an exact replica of her mother.

**The gods may throw a dice, their minds as cold as ice**

**And someone way down here loses someone dear**

**The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall**

**It's simple and it's plain, why should I complain**

I felt my cheeks get wet and realized that I had started to cry. Staring down at my wife's picture, I gave a weak smile.

**But tell me does she kiss like I used to kiss you**

**Does it feel the same, when she calls your name**

**Somewhere deep inside, you must know I miss you**

**But what can I say, rules must be obeyed**

**The judges will decide, the likes of me abide**

**Spectators of the show always staying low**

**The game is on again, a lover or a friend**

**A big thing or a small the winner takes it all**

"Hey... honey," I whispered to the picture held in my large hands, "I found Charlotte today; I know I should have realized she was still alive. You wouldn't have let her die..." I broke off, my voice becoming watery.

**I don't wanna talk if it makes you feel sad**

**And I understand you've come to shake my hand**

**I apologize if it makes you feel bad**

**Seeing me so tense, no self-confidence**

**But you see the winner takes it all**

Taking a shuddering breath, I clutched the picture tighter in my hands. "I've been so stupid, trying to forget both of you, trying to forget to help deaden the pain. I'll never forget you, you know that... I'm just, I can't stand losing you Abby..." I had to stop there; my voice wouldn't come out anymore.

**The winner takes it all**

**(So the winner takes it all and the loser has to fall)**

**(Throw a dice... cold as ice)**

**(Way down here... someone dear)**

**(Takes it all... has to fall)**

Instead of talking, I hugged the picture to my chest as I cried, wishing that she could come back, even if it were just for a minute, an hour, a week...

* * *

I stirred from my sleep, realizing that I had never made it to my bed. I was still on the library floor, the old book spread out in front of us. I smiled as I saw the archaic yellowed slip of paper that Jon had found inside the book that held the first clue; _the secret lies with Charlotte_. I felt someone's gaze on me and I turned to find Jon next to me, his electric blue eyes studying me. I felt a smirk come onto my face as Jon's face became red. 

"Where you watching me sleep?" I asked him quietly.

"No-no! I mean, it might have been something… maybe I was…" he trailed off and I grinned at him before he gave a guilty sigh, "Okay, so I was."

We both grew silent as the sound of morning birds came in through the window with the sunlight. I stretched and slowly picked myself off of the floor. Jon groaned a little as he stood behind me.

"One of these nights I'll sleep in an actual bed." He muttered and I gave a small laugh.

"There you guys are!" We both spun to find a distressed Riley, "Come on—you need to see this!" he panted, rushing off down the hallway. Jon and I glanced at each other before following him cautiously.

We were led to a small closet-like room that was tucked away secretly. Stepping inside, we were met with dozens of security screens and monitors. Ben was sitting in a rolling office chair, staring at one of the screens, deep in thought. I glanced at the screen he was gazing at, and gulped.

There were at least four or five people making their way through the forest, already trudging past the church where the three of us had slept the other night. I looked over at Riley, whose face had paled again.

"What are we going to do?" I asked quietly, my glance jumping across the group of men gathered into the tiny space. The two adults were silent for a moment as they glanced at each other. Finally Ben cleared his throat and stood.

"I have a plan." He told me.

* * *

A/N: Yea for Ben and his plans! He can always save the day! Next chapter is return of those nasty bad guys (and one girl). Keep on reading and reviewing and I promise there'll be a TON happening in the next chapter (how could there not when a group of bad guys attack a mansion?). Thank you for all those reviews and keep on telling me what you think! 

* * *


	18. Intruders, a Ghost, and a Fire

**Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

A/N: Another suspenseful and action-packed chapter ahead of us! Are you ready? Yes? Okay, just remember that I don't own N.T. Here we go! The longest chapter in the entire story awaits! 

* * *

My men had sawed through the back portion of the iron gate, enough to let us into Ben's yard. After that, the front door seemed like nothing compared to the thick metal bars. I nodded at Phil, and with one kick the door was broken open.

The five of us (Trey had stayed behind to guard our hostages) entered the dark house quietly, grabbing for our guns. I glanced around at the silent entry way warily. The foyer we were in was large and tiled. I could see a grand staircase in front of us that led to the second floor, which wound an open hallway around the top of the first. I gazed around, looking for anyone or anything inside.

"Looks empty," Adam spat. I held my hand out towards him.

"Someone's here; I can feel it."

As I spoke those words a flickering light burst out of nowhere. Most of our group jumped back in surprise (besides Piper of course) as the light solidified itself, forming itself into the shape of a woman. Ivan paled and started to whimper. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Quiet down, you idiot!" I hissed at the frightened man.

"B-but… it's, it's the lady… Mrs. Gates…" he whispered, pointing a shaky finger back at the shadow of a person. We all turned to what stood in front of us… and caught our breath.

It was indeed Abigail Gates standing there, or at least her ghost. Her features shone on dust particles in black and white, as if on an old movie projector. Her golden hair was tied back and pinned on top of her head gracefully and she was dressed in an elegant evening gown that trailed the floor, almost as if she were going to a party.

She seemed to notice us, because she took a step towards Ivan. The cowering man fell over, tripping over his own feet. I sighed in exasperation, moving my eyes up to the ceiling. As I did I noticed a stream of light filtering down from the floor above us. I followed the light down and it led me to the 'ghost'.

A smile twitched at the corners of my mouth as Abigail moved towards the far wall, slowly disappearing into it. My men were speechless, and Ivan was about to keel over with fright.

"G-g-ghost! There's a ghost here!" he cried out, jumping to his feet. I let him panic, but motioned to the others. They followed my pointed finger and found the projector beam above us also before returning my smile.

"Ivan, it's all right, I'm sure the ghost won't be back." Piper reassured him.

"Why won't she?" Ivan sniffed.

"Because I'm going to get her," I told him, heading for the stairs, "The rest of you stay here unless I call for you." I told them as I pounded up the stairs.

* * *

I realized something was wrong as Riley and Jon filmed me. It was too quiet downstairs; I only heard one person panicking. I was supposed to scare the whole group.

Riley, being the technical genius he is, figured out a way to make me into the ghost of Abigail Gates by using a camera and projector. It was all part of Ben's plan. Jon and Ben had put together my outfit using a favorite evening dress of Abigail's long ago. I had to look away when Ben's eyes grew shiny with tears as I had put it on.

I quickly walked out of the camera's view, making Abigail's "ghost" disappear. Riley and Jon looked up at me.

"What is it?" Riley asked.

I didn't even have time to answer before pounding footsteps were heard from the stairs. We all glanced behind us before looking back at each other again. Someone was onto us; we hadn't been clever enough.

"Jon, Charlotte, get away as fast as you can!" Riley told us hurriedly. I picked up the heavy skirts of the red floral-patterned dress I was wearing as Jon turned back to his dad.

"But, dad—"

"No Jon, I'll be fine. You take Charlotte and go hide!" he told his son quietly as the steps grew closer. Jon reluctantly grabbed my hand and we both ran down the closest hallway, the one leading to the library and Ben's study. I was practically being dragged as we ran, the heavy dress weighing me down.

All of a sudden, he turned off down another shorter hallway. I lost a shoe as he pulled me along, shutting the door behind us quickly.

"Where are we going?!" I asked him, out of breath.

"I know a shortcut!" he told me, leading us into another room and closing the door behind us. As he ran, my dress snagged on the floor and I stuck. Our hands fell apart as I tried to free myself. Jon turned back to look at me.

"Jon, I'm stuck!" I cried out desperately. I thought I could hear footsteps behind us.

Jon ran back over and knelt down by me, trying to rip the dress loose from whatever I had caught it on. Finally, after one last tear in the fabric, I was free. Jon helped me back up, rushing me through a side door. I was pushed into a back study, and spun around to meet Ben.

We stared at each other, and then I looked back at the door as Jon shut it behind me, staying in the last room. My eyes widened as I ran back to the closed door, banging on it.

"Jon, Jon what are you doing?!" I shouted, trying to get him to hear me. Then someone's hands pulled at my arms, gently leading me away from the door. I looked up to find Ben staring down at me with a troubled expression. "Ben," I gasped, "Jon, he- what is he doing?" I asked him, my voice husky from yelling.

"No doubt something that he'll later regret," Ben sighed as he slid a bookcase open to reveal a secret closet. "Most boys end up doing something stupid for girls." He muttered as he pushed me inside. I turned back to him as he shut the door, watching as he listened for whoever had been chasing after us.

"There's a peephole in there if you can find it; it could come in handy." He told me just before the door was shut all the way.

Then I was plunged into darkness, the light of the study being shut off. For a moment I let my eyes adjust before scrabbling around for the peephole. Finally managing to find it, I gently slid the peephole open, allowing a small stream of light to come into the small secret space I was in. I could see out into the study, but only slightly. If Ben walked too far to the side then he would disappear until he paced back to the middle again.

I gave a huff, trying to find a comfortable spot in the small, dark space I had been hidden away in. I hoped that this could all be over soon; the seconds became more and more painful as I waited for something to happen.

* * *

I watched as Jon and Charlotte disappeared down the hallway before turning back to the man who was flying towards me, no doubt to chase the two. I threw myself in front of him, trying to block his path. I knew it wouldn't work. I was tossed to the ground from the force of him knocking into me.

I gave an _oommf_ as my right arm caught me from the fall. The man glanced back at me before stopping. I turned to him, trying to pick myself off of the floor. Then, he gave a dangerous grin before coming and helping me up.

For a moment I was confused and dazed, but then I realized that he was leading me back to the banister. I tried to slow him down any way that I could, but he soon had me leaning over the railing. I stared down at the tiled floor below me, and gulped.

"Max, Phil, come gather up this roadblock, will you?" he called out to the small group beneath us on the ground floor. Two of the men broke away and rushed up the stairs, soon taking me by my arms and forcibly leading me back downstairs. I was so relieved that I hadn't plummeted down to my death that I forgot to resist their pull.

"Take care of him, any way you want to." The man muttered after us as he turned and continued his chase. It was then that my dread returned as I found myself caught in the middle of a large, threatening group of men. And woman. I hadn't seen her at first, but even though she was slightly skinnier than the rest of the group she looked just as dangerous. I felt my hands get cold and my face paled as the men let me go, making sure that I couldn't escape.

I was dead meat.

And then, just as one of the men flicked out a large knife, I heard a commotion from behind me. Spinning around, I saw the woman as she fought off the two who had escorted me downstairs. Before any of the rest of the group could act, she had taken out two others. Now, only the man holding the knife was left.

Although he looked as surprised at me, he still held the knife out as if he could hurt the girl if he wanted to. I looked back, and the woman just smiled as she cocked a gun.

The knife clattered to the floor as the man held up his hands, a defeated look on his face. The woman strode past me and started to tie the man's hands and feet up using his belt.

"What's going on Piper?" the man asked her as she cinched the belt up, keeping his hands together tightly. She kept working as she talked.

"My name's not Piper, it's Kate Blanche; I work for the FBI. I was hired to go after your little treasure-hunting party here and to stop Kain from harming Ben Gates. Will you give me a hand?" she turned her head back, directing the last question to me.

"Oh, yeah, yeah I'll help." I nodded, jogging over. I was still dazed from what had just happened.

"Thanks, just use this to tie up his feet." She told me, taking off her own belt. I saw that she was wearing three others. "We've been following Kain for the past few months, finally connecting him to the house fire here at the Gate's residence." She explained more.

"Took you long enough," The man I was tying up spat. The girl looked up at him sharply from the other man that she was tying up. I shrunk back, scared by the fire in her eyes. She slowly stood and stalked over to the man, fixing him with a terrifying glare.

"Benjamin Gates was my hero when I was a girl; I always wanted to be just like him. When his house caught fire and his family died, I was heartbroken. I swore that I would help him get his life back one day. It may have taken us long enough, but you're still the one that's tied up on the floor, Ivan." She spoke calmly, but her voice radiated heat.

I looked at the man I had tied up, realizing that this was the man I had seen on the Gate's security camera. He was the one who had helped start the fire; he was the one who had taken Charlotte to the children's home.

The man looked up and noticed me staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

I punched him, so hard that it hurt my fist. The man's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over, out cold. I shook my fist out as I stared at him, wishing that I could've hurt him more. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and turned to find Kate staring at me.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"No problem; he deserved it." I nodded, standing.

* * *

I heard the door to the study open, and I looked over at whoever had just walked in. My face hardened, just like it had when I had first found Jon, Riley and Charlotte inside my house, just like it had been for the past fifteen years. And then, the man entered the study fully. I caught my breath, surprised.

I had always imagined that whoever was after Charlotte and Riley would at least be an old man. The person who had entered the room had to have been under forty. His graceful face was framed by his golden hair, tied back into a neat ponytail to keep it out of the way. I could see under his clothes that he was muscular and tall.

"So you're the one after us," I finally spat out as I stepped in front of the man.

"Oh no, I don't believe that I'm after all of you, just one in particular." The man smiled, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. I shrunk back as he threw a glance around the room, as if trying to find out where I had hidden Charlotte. "I know she's in here Ben; where have you stashed her?"

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, trying to hide the fear in my voice.

"Charlotte, who else?!" The man yelled, his calm nature dissolving as he threw me against the desk in the room. I tried to keep calm, tried to not throw a glance over at the shelf that Charlotte was hidden behind.

"I don't know any Charlottes," I seethed. The dangerous man leaned down over me, his face twisted into a snarl.

"Oh is that so?" he whispered, his voice strained. I glared back as I tried to not be scared by the man's wild eyes and angry voice. I clenched my jaw, keeping quiet. The man broke out into a small chuckle as he let me go, starting to pace around the room. I watched him closely. "Look, I don't need to know where Charlotte is, you don't have to tell me. What I'd really like is some of that leftover treasure." He turned back to me, and I caught a glint of greed behind his face.

"What treasure?" I asked, deciding to play dumb. The man lost his patience again. He grabbed me by my collar and threw me against the wall.

"The freakin' Knights Templar treasure, what do you think I mean? I know you have some of it, some money, something!" he cried manically. I stared at him blankly, knowing that I had another secret room connected to this study, one that could only be opened by a key that I had lost long ago.

"I-I don't have any left." I told him, the quiver in my voice giving me away. The man smiled, his grip easing down slightly.

"Oh really? You spent all of it on this house and on your wedding and on your family? Is that it?" he asked. I tensed at the mention of my family. He grinned wider, "Were you saving it for Charlotte's college fund maybe? Or were you and Abigail planning to take an Alaskan Cruise after retirement?" he gave a dry laugh.

My face burned from the anger inside of me. He had gone where I didn't let anyone go, not even myself. I couldn't let him get away with it; I hadn't even let Riley get away with it so long ago.

"_My family is dead_." I muttered, staring the man straight in the eye. It came out before I thought; it was what I had told myself countless times before. Only after the words had left my mouth did I realize that Charlotte was listening to this conversation.

"Then you have no need for the money. If you haven't used it yet, there's not much point in using it now. Besides, just think of it as payback."

"Payback?" I asked as the man let me go.

"Oh I forgot… I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Kain Howe. You might have known my uncle." He turned to me again.

"Howe…" I breathed, realization coming over my face.

"Ian Howe, your friend? I was the only heir to his fortune; after he died in prison so long ago the government took it all away before I could inherit it; something about it being acquired through illegal means. I do believe they received the tip from an overly noble man named Ben Gates."

"You… you were the one who attacked me…" I murmured as I started to piece my faint memories together.

"Yes, it did take an awful lot of planning to plot my revenge, but it was acquired easily enough. Except I couldn't find your treasure before the police arrived. So I took what I could and sold it to a pawn shop somewhere in town. I would've been satisfied with that if your daughter hadn't resurfaced." He explained as he studied his fingernails.

I was slowly putting it all together. I got Ian in trouble; the government took away the inheritance from his nephew, so he naturally took his revenge on me. He must have taken the templar piece, the one Charlotte had been wearing as a necklace. Charlotte said that it had come from her foster mom's junk shop, so that was where Kain had sold it. Charlotte had to have been taken to a children's home either by Kain or by someone else. Abigail wasn't supposed to die… or maybe she was. I don't think Kain had planned to kill her, but that was how it turned out. He was the reason I had lived the past years in torment, he was the reason my wife was dead and my daughter had been taken away from me._ He_ was the reason.

"So… the treasure?" Kain asked. My head snapped up, and I met his gaze with anger in my eyes.

"I give you the treasure, and you'll leave her alone?" I asked. He gave a nod. I stared at him a moment longer, glaring at him.

Finally, I walked slowly over towards the bookshelves opposite from the one Charlotte was hiding in, and picked the templar pendant off of one of the shelves. Kain's eyes lit up when he saw it, realizing that it must be the key. I removed a picture frame off the wall, revealing a keypad hidden behind it. I quickly typed in my code (VALLEY FORGE), and a part of the shelf slid back to reveal a slot the pendant fit into easily. I fit it into the space, and gave it a twist.

The wall opened, groaning with the effort; it had only been opened once or twice before. Kain broke out into a smile as a large, dark opening was revealed. I turned to him, motioning for him to go first. He took a step, and I shoved him violently into the shelf.

He turned back to me quicker than I thought he would, and then there was a crack and lights and I found myself on the cold ground, my head throbbing. He was staring down at me coldly, his face dark and sharp.

"You should know better; I can beat you easily enough. You're not a young man anymore, Ben Gates. You might have been able to outwit my uncle, but there is _no way_ you can beat me." He put a foot on top of my chest, and I sputtered as I tried to breath.

Waiting until he looked up, I grabbed a hold of his leg and twisted him off of me, making him crash to the floor. Jumping to my feet, I prepared myself for the fight that was starting.

* * *

As soon as I saw my dad hit the floor, I pried open the secret door. My first idea had been to go help Ben, but as soon as the man standing over him laid his eyes on me, I figured that it probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Instead I headed for the side door, running out into the hallway. I almost didn't notice Jon's body, crumpled on the floor. It was all a blur through smoke that was coming from the carpet, and the two people who were racing up the stairs. All I wanted to do was to just scream, to just give up, but I knew better than that. I had started this thing with many people protecting me, and now it was down to just me.

My feet pounded on the floor, and I realized that I had lost a shoe somewhere. I didn't stop. I took a back staircase that led to a door. Opening it, I found myself in the dark backyard. It was a perfect summer night, but I barely noticed in my panic.

* * *

Kate and I ran upstairs, and I thought I saw Charlotte run down a small hallway, but I didn't have time to look again. We were both rushing towards the small room that Jon and Charlotte had reached. Smoke was piling out into the hallway.

"Jon!" I yelled, running into the room that held small flames in the corner. Kate reached out for a vase and threw what little water was in it on the flames, calming them down a little. I barely noticed the fire; my whole attention was on my son.

His body was collapsed on the floor, a small gash above his almost-healed eye. I kneeled down next to him, my hands hovering over his still body. My breathing came in short, quick gasps like an animal. I slowly laid a hand on his cheek. Jon didn't move. I gently gathered him up, laying his limp head onto my chest. He was too motionless, too silent. I felt tears spill over as I desperately held his head in my hand, trying to coax him into consciousness.

"Jon, Jon… wake up Jon," I pleaded, my voice strained from fear. I couldn't lose him, not him and Margaret, not like Ben had lost Abby and Charlotte.

Someone sat down next to me, and I realized that it was Kate, the FBI agent. She had put out the fire and was now staring at me as I clung to Jon's lifeless body. Her eyes were wide as I shook with sobs. Still Jon didn't move.

Kate put an arm on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I barely noticed the gesture; I was too busy trying to urge Jon from his death-like state. He couldn't be dead; he couldn't be dead. That phrase rang over and over again in my head.

And then, there came a sudden gasping noise. I blinked as Kate's mouth fell open. Jon's fingers twitched, barely, but the movement was there. I watched as he drew in a shaky breath and forced his eyelids open. His blue eyes connected with mine, and a smile, so small and so weak, lit up his pale face. I sobbed again, this time in surprise and relief, as I hugged him closer.

"Dad?" his voice was so soft that it was hard to hear it, "What's going on? Is that man gone?" he whispered. It was then that I remembered the man who had been chasing after the two kids.

"I-I don't know," I replied, my voice sounding distant as I held onto my son.

* * *

My chest heaved as my feet flew through the overgrown grass that tickled my legs in the torn dress. I was flushed from heat and adrenaline, and the air outside felt cool against my warm skin. I took in deep breathes as I flew through the yard, and then climbed through a part of the iron gate that had been sawed away.

I was now in an unfamiliar part of the forest, a part that seemed to be darker and more threatening than the part Riley, Jon and I had trekked through. I didn't stop running until I found myself blocked by an ancient brick wall. There was only a small section of it left, and I only stopped myself from running into it thanks to a floodlight that was trained on it.

I stopped, leaning my hot face against the cool bricks, gulping in lung-fulls of summer air. I knew that there must be a security camera nearby, because that was where Ben had placed the floodlights around his property. He had told this to me this morning as he had explained his plan.

Nothing had gone right; I was supposed to scare the group, but they had caught on too fast. There were supposed to be other traps, but none had had time to be tripped. And now, Riley, and Jon, and Ben, they were all in danger… if not dead. I thought of the smoke I had run through and realized that where there was smoke, there was fire. Ben's house had caught on fire again.

My mind raced again. Ben had said that his family was dead, and I knew that it had only been to protect me, but he had sounded so convinced that it had hurt. I wasn't dead… not yet, at least.

And then there were footsteps behind me, and I tensed. Spinning around, I pressed myself up against the old brick wall in fear. Someone had followed me, the man who was after me. He had taken care of Ben, and now he wanted to get rid of me. I was sure that it was him, and I was sure that I was going to die.

My hands scrabbled at the crumbling wall behind me as I stared out with wide eyes in front of me. All I could see outside of the flood light that blinded me was darkness. I could hear my heaving breath and my heart and the sound of the crunching footsteps as they slowly approached me. And then, a shadow of a person broke out of the woods.

I could see his shape outlined by the floodlights as he stumbled over to me, and I whimpered with fear. My knees were shaking and my head felt like it was full of air. It couldn't end like this, not with everyone gone.

And then, the man stepped in front of the light, and I almost collapsed with relief.

Ben stared down at me, his eyes tired and worried. I stared up at him, seeing the floodlight that made a halo around his head, and almost smiled. He was alive; the other man was gone and Ben had come back to save me.

He held a hand down to me and I took it shakily. We both stared at each other as I slowly stood up. None of us said anything, because nothing really needed to be said. I felt my eyes grow cold all of a sudden with tears, and for once I didn't try to stop myself from crying.

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I felt my dad pull me into a tight hug. I held him close, my breathing coming out in short sobs. Taking a deep breath, I let my eyes close as he held me; nothing could hurt me now… not even if I was crying

* * *

A/N: Aw, some bittersweet fluff there at the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this climatic chapter because we only have one to go! Actually, I'll probably try to make it two, just so I can have an even twenty chapters. Keep on submitting those amazing reviews!

* * *


	19. The Summer Starts

**Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

A/N: Here we go! I still don't own N.T., for all of those who haven't quite caught on yet. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's fluffier than the last one. 

* * *

The gravel crunched under my feet as I strolled up to the front door. The sun was out, and it warmed the ground and air. I smiled up at the blue sky, the beautiful summer day getting to me. My dad's house stood out brilliantly against the gorgeous backdrop, and I quickened my pace to get there sooner. Ben had wanted me to spend the summer at his house, and once school started, the weekends.

Him and Ann had reached an understanding and now were sharing me between the two of them. He had offered Ann a place at his home until the shop was back in order, and she had taken him up on it for about a week. I knew that our shop wasn't quite done yet, but she hadn't wanted to intrude any longer.

I knew that it was weird for her, being in the house that belonged to my actual parents and seeing how much better off they were. I had made sure to hug her before she left and tell her that I'd be stopping by on Friday for some pizza.

Ann and Margaret had turned out to be okay, especially since Kate had sent an FBI unit to get them right before Kain had attacked Ben's house. They were sore and cold, but they were safe. I remember how I had hugged Ann so closely after we were reunited; I had missed her so much. Margaret and Riley had kissed and hugged and cried even more than Ann and I did. They had a reason to; Jon was hurt.

After Ben and I had gotten inside, I remember finding Jon with Riley and Kate upstairs in the side room he had pushed me out of. He had looked so weak, and there was a cut above his bruised eye. I remember what he told me.

"Jon!" I ran over to my friend who was lying on the ground, "Jon, are you alright?!" I sat down next to him, peering over him worriedly. His eyes slowly blinked open and he smiled when he saw me. That was when I knew he was okay. I hit him gently as I scowled. "Jon, what on earth were you thinking?" I asked him, trying my best to hug him.

"I… I just wanted you to be safe." He told me.

"So you went up against an armed and dangerous man?"

"I… I just- wanted you to be safe." He repeated, glancing off to the side nervously. I had smiled down at him.

"Next time, just get me a box of chocolates like a normal boyfriend."

He was a lot better now, since two or three weeks had passed. His eye was healed, but he still had a scar above it. I had just gotten back from visiting him, and was in a particularly good mood. He had asked me to meet him tomorrow night in front of Abel's Curios.

The Pooles had made sure that they installed a new security system, one that Riley designed himself. It used Margaret's necklace, Jon's class ring, and Riley's pendant (a smaller replica of Ben's templar one) as keys to unlock the doors and windows, and also to set the alarm off. Of course, I had been given a key too; my necklace had been programmed in as one of the keys.

Kate Blanche had been given an award for her work on the case and how she had helped stop Kain Howe. She kept up with Riley and Ben often, and I always smiled when she came to visit; it was always fun to hear her stories. Ben was impressed because she used to work under someone named Sadusky who had died a few years back.

I finally reached the front porch and slipped my house key into the lock, opening the door. I smiled as I walked in and closed it behind me. The house smelled like spaghetti and garlic bread.

"Charlotte, is that you?" I heard Ben call out from the kitchen. My smile grew wider.

"Yes!" I called back.

"Could you help me with dinner? It's almost ready." He asked.

"Yeah, I'm coming dad!" I sprinted for the kitchen, shaking my head and laughed at what I had just said; I never thought that I'd be saying that in my life.

A lot of things had changed, but most had gotten better. I no longer had my nightmares, I had found my family, and I had a date tomorrow with my boyfriend. What could be better?

* * *

"Charlotte? You want some breakfast?" I called up the stairs. I heard a thump as someone fell onto the floor, and then a small groan. A smile came onto my face. Charlotte wasn't a morning person, especially in the summer.

"Yes, I'm coming!" I heard her call back down to me. I laughed softly as I returned to the kitchen. I had made us some pancakes and eggs and the aromatic smell had started to fill up the entire house. I heard someone come crashing down the stairs and I turned to find Charlotte, messenger bag in hand as she ran a hand through her messy hair.

**Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning**

**Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile**

**I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness**

**And I have to sit down ****for a while**

"Good morning dad," she mumbled sleepily as she set her bag down, heading past me further into the kitchen.

**The feeling that I'm losing her forever**

**And without really entering her world**

**I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter**

**That funny little girl**

"I-I made us some breakfast; I hope you're hungry" I stammered, still not used to having a daughter.

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

**I try to capture every minute**

**The feeling in it**

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

**Do I really see what's in her mind**

**Each time I think I'm close to knowing**

**She keeps on growing**

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

I dished us out two plates full of food as we both sat down. She gave a yawn, trying to smile over at me as I pushed a plate over in front of her. I managed a weak smile back.

**Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table**

**Barely awake, I let precious time go by**

**Then when she's gone, there's that old melancholy feeling**

**And a sense of guilt I can't deny**

"So, what are you doing today?" I asked her.

"I was going to go visit Ann and then meet Jon later." She smiled over at me. I nodded back, trying to forget the plans that I had made for us.

**What happened to the wonderful adventures**

**The places I had planned for us to go**

**(Slipping through my fingers all the time)**

**Well, some of that we did but most we didn't**

**And why, I just don't know**

"This is good." She told me, her mouth full of pancakes. I looked up, and felt a sad grin lighting up my face.

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

**I try to capture every minute**

**The feeling in it**

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

**Do I really see what's in her mind**

**Each time I think I'm close to knowing**

**She keeps on growing**

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

**Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture**

**And save it from the funny tricks of time**

**Slipping through my fingers**

Almost too soon Charlotte was clinking her fork down onto her empty plate. I glanced back up at her as she stood and gathered her bag up. She looked over and our eyes met. I could feel then the tears gathering behind mine, and I broke our gaze.

"Goodbye dad… I'll see you tonight." She told me. I nodded, pushing the food around on my plate.

And then she was hugging me, her head pressed against my neck.

"I love you dad." She whispered. I blinked, letting some of my tears fall down my face.

"I-I… love you too, sweetheart." I managed to choke out.

**Slipping through my fingers all the time**

Taking a breath, she straightened back up.

"Alright, I'm just going to… go now." She told me, heading towards the front door.

"Alright," I nodded at her, trying to blink away the tears. She smiled at me again as she waved.

**Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning **

**Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile…**

The door shut softly, and I was alone again. Sighing, I started to clear away the plates by myself.

* * *

A/N: Aw, how sad! Don't worry, another chapter and another song is on it's way! Thank you for everyone who's been reading and reviewing! By the way, what ABBA song do you want to hear in the next chapter? I'm thinking Mamma Mia, When all is said and done, I have a dream, or Does your mother know. Any suggestions are helpful!

* * *


	20. A Musical Epilogue

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

A/N: Oh no… it's the last chapter! I'm really sad, but also relieved because I no longer have to worry about plot and characters and ABBA songs. Alright, the words in **bold **in this chapter are from the ABBA song **Mamma Mia**. Thank you to the one person who suggested a song. You won the pick a song award! P.S., I don't own National Treasure or ABBA, just in case you were wondering. 

* * *

I walked out of Abel's Curios and couldn't help but to smile when I saw Jon waiting for me across the street. The sun was just starting to set, and the city lights were beginning to light up the sky. Making sure I looked both ways across the street, I quickly ran over to where Jon was waiting.

As he looked up at me with those amazing blue eyes, I felt my stomach flutter. I almost tripped over the curb, and he caught me before I could meet the cement. I glanced up into his face, and we both smiled like idiots.

"Careful, watch your step." He laughed. I chuckled nervously, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear as I stood again. Jon leaned against a light pole he was standing by, watching me. I came closer, my hands shaking for some reason.

"So… Mr. Poole," I smiled, standing in front of him, "What did you want to meet me for?" I asked.

"Well, I just had a small little something I wanted to give to you." He told me, his eyes sparkling.

"A present? For me?" I acted surprised, "Why, whatever for?"

"For surviving that whole ordeal a few weeks ago. Actually, in a way I'm kind of going to miss it." He gave a small sigh. I stared at him; he glanced down at me. "What?"

"You're going to miss being followed around by bad guys, high speed car chases, and having your life put in danger every five minutes?" I asked him. He gave a shrug.

"Well, you have to admit, it _is _going to be pretty boring without all of that." He smiled. I stared at him a moment longer before chuckling and shaking my head at him.

"You're right," I laughed, "Completely right."

We grew quiet, staring at each other shyly. Finally, he shuffled his feet a bit, and the spell was broken. Jon cleared his throat as he rummaged through his khaki bag for something.

"Here, I think that you'll like these…" he smiled at me, his eyes sparkling in the warm sunset light. I couldn't help but smile back as I felt myself shiver slightly.

And then, He held out two slips of blue paper in front of me. My smile slipped off my face, replaced by a shocked expression. I almost forgot to breathe as I stared at what he was holding out to me. I glanced up at him questioningly, but he just smiled as I slowly reached out and took the two tickets from him.

They were tickets to Mamma Mia on Broadway.

"Are-are these… how on _earth_ did you get these?" I asked, my mind rushing as I stared at them.

"Do you like it? I mean, you want to go… don't you?" he asked nervously. I glanced back up at him.

"Yes, yes of course!" I laughed, throwing myself on top of him in a hug. He laughed back, and then slowly we leaned towards each other, meeting in a kiss.

* * *

The man tried his best to ignore his wife's chiding as he spied on the two teenagers that were kissing just around the corner from where he was sitting.

"Riley, I know that you miss all this spying stuff, but really, this is wrong. We should go." His wife urged him again.

"Alright," he sighed, finally giving up on trying to see around the crowded park full of people. "What did you have in mind?" he asked with a smile as he turned back to the petite woman next to him.

"Oh, I don't know…" she smirked, "Maybe another treasure hunt?"

**I've been cheated by you since I don't know when**

**So I made up my mind, it must come to an end**

**Look at me now, will I ever learn?**

**I don't know how but I suddenly lose control**

**There's a fire within my soul**

**Just one look and I can hear a bell ring**

**One more look and I forget everything**

**Mamma mia, here I go again**

**My my, how can I resist you?**

**Mamma mia, does it show again?**

**My my, just how much ****I've missed you**

**Yes, I've been brokenhearted**

**Blue since the day we parted**

**Why, why did I ever let you go?**

**Mamma mia, now I really know**

**My my, I could never let you go**

The young store owner peeked out her front window, and smiled as she saw the two teenagers kissing. Giving a soft sigh she returned to her shop. She laughed softly to herself as she remembered what it was like to be that age and to have a boyfriend, and she only slightly wished that she could go back in time to enjoy it again.

**I've been angry and sad about things that you do**

**I can't count all the times that I've told you we're through**

**And when you go, when you slam the door**

**I think you know that you won't be away too long**

**You know that I'm not that strong**

**Just one look and I can hear a bell ring**

**One more look and I forget everything**

**Mamma mia, here I go again**

**My my, how can I resist you?**

**Mamma mia, does it show again?**

**My my, just how much I've missed you**

**Yes, I've been brokenhearted**

**Blue since the day we parted**

**Why, why did I ever let you go?**

The girl and boy broke their kiss and started to walk down the sidewalk farther into the park, staring at each other with stupid smiles on their faces. Neither of them noticed the woman in a gray jacket and sunglasses following behind them.

**Mamma mia, even if I say**

**Bye bye, leave me now or never**

**Mamma mia, it's a game we play**

**Bye bye doesn't mean forever**

**Mamma mia, here I go again**

**My my, how can I resist you?**

**Mamma mia, does it show again?**

**My my, just how much I've missed you**

**Yes, I've been brokenhearted**

**Blue since the day we parted**

**Why, why did I ever let you go?**

**Mamma mia, now I really know**

**My my, I could never let you go**

The woman turned back before following the two any farther, and smiled at a man who was sitting in a parked car. He gave her a nod and a faint smile back, signaling her to go on. Turning around again, she continued trailing the teenage couple.

Giving a sigh, the man laughed softly to himself; Abigail would never have approved of spying on Charlotte. He closed his eyes and whispered a soft apology before pulling out into the street, on his way back home.

And so the summer started, a new beginning for a lot of people because of an old mystery that was solved.

* * *

A/N: I think this ending was slightly awkward becasue there wasn't too many spaces in the short song where I could fit some writing. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it anyways! Can you believe that this story is over? I mean yeah, I started writing it in Septemeber and didn't start posting it until December, and here we are in Feburary and I'm done! I am going to miss it though... _sad sigh_. Review please! I'm going to sink into withdrawl until I get another fanfic idea again. ttfn!

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